Harry Potter and Beyond the Veil
by FlyorFight
Summary: Harry has been given a difficult task: Find the Horcruxes and end Voldemort's reign of terror once and for all. But when an old enemy becomes a new friend, will Harry be able to keep everyone focused on the task at hand or will friendships be in danger?
1. Mooney's Journey

**Chapter One**

**Mooney's Journey**

Remus Lupin had never ran for so long in his entire life. He was tired and he was finding it hard to breathe. The human body was not built to run for so long at one point in time without resting, but that was exactly what he had been doing since the sun had set. He risked a glance at his watch and realized that he had been running for the last seven and a half hours without stopping. Peering into the darkness around him, he could not detect any signs of movement or noise coming from the surrounding forest. Deciding that there was no danger, he sat down on an old tree stump to let the aching in his joints lessen.

"_How have things come to this? Why did Albus choose tonight of all nights to have that letter reach me? Why didn't he tell me about this sooner? It would have made things so much easier for everyone. For me. For Sirius. For Harry. All of us. Why? Why now? Why after all of this time?"_

Slowly from his coat pocket, Remus removed the piece of parchment that had begun his long journey tonight. He then pulled out his wand and quietly muttered, "_Lumos_". He set his wand down, and unfolded the piece of parchment.

He held his hand out onto the page and said, "I, Remus John Lupin, am the one this letter is intended for." At the completion of his statement, words began to fill the page. Words that were written by Albus Dumbledore. The last words that he would ever write.

_Remus,_

_If you are reading this, then I am dead. I know how Sirius and yourself hated clichés like that, but there is really no other way to say the truth of my now current state. There are things that you and Harry need to know. Things that I should have told you long ago. First and foremost, you must know that at the time of my death, I was already dying. What my ailments were are of no consequence. Know that my death was inevitable. Secondly, you must know that Severus Snape is __not__ a Death Eater. The events surrounding my death were foreseen many months ago, and the plan was always for Severus to end my life in the event that the Death Eaters made their way into Hogwarts. Thirdly, you must tell Harry that none of this was his fault. After you tell him what I am about to tell you, I know that that remarkable young man will take the blame upon himself for everything that has transpired. So onto the truth. The truth that I should have been open about with you, Sirius, and Harry as well._

_I have already informed Harry of this, but you should know as well, that Tom Riddle split his soul into several parts and created Horcruxes. All of these must be destroyed before Harry takes on Tom again. Otherwise, I fear that all hope will be lost. You must help him in any way that you can. Now is the time to dwell upon what truly matters. The life of Harry James Potter. This is where we get to what you should have known long ago._

_Upon the deaths of James and Lily Potter, several clauses that were written into their wills were activated, but could not be mentioned until the deaths of all present parties at the signing of their wills. The people that were present were of course, Lily and James, Sirius Black, and myself, Albus Dumbledore. Upon our deaths, the truth of these clauses could be mentioned to all the people that were involved. So I will begin with Sirius's role in the wills._

_Sirius was to be named the adoptive father of Harry when he reached his fifth birthday. But because of the traitorous acts of Peter Pettigrew, the paperwork was never filled out, and so Harry remained an orphan. After Harry helped Sirius escape, Sirius tried desperately to adopt Harry. His attempts were unsuccessful, only because of the fact that he was a fugitive and wanted by the Ministry of Magic. So he was to be given care by the next person that they wanted to have care for him. That was you, Remus._

_I was Harry's unofficial guardian, only because of the fact that he was at Hogwarts for the majority of the year. After Sirius was killed in the Department of Mysteries, I tried my damnedest to have the paperwork drawn up so that you would be able to adopt Harry. But there was one thing that I was not counting on. Rufus Scrimgeour. He fought me the whole way on this, and got his way. I guess it pays to be the Minister of Magic sometimes. I'm truly sorry for not being able to tell you this before, Remus. If it is any consolation, I don't think that Harry would have been able to have had a better parent than you or Sirius, given the circumstances of his life._

_I know that this is a lot to take in, but there is more, my old friend. When you are done reading this letter, the last enchantment of Lily and James Potter's wills will go into affect. You will be able to tell one other person about the contents of this letter, and then you must tell Harry about this. But there is a catch, Remus. You will only have eight hours to reach Harry, and you will be unable to use any form of magical transportation to reach him. But take heart in knowing that I was able to add one touch of my skills to the wills. You will be untraceable by any form of magic. But once those eight hours are up, I am afraid that you will once again be a target for the Death Eaters. Travel fast, Mooney. Time is working against you._

_Your friend,_

_Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore_

_P.S.: I suggest the person you tell not be Nymphadora Tonks. I feel that she will have a large role in what is to come, but needs not to know exactly why._

Remus closed the parchment and put it back into the inside pocket of his coat. He then grabbed his wand and stood up, wiping away the tears that had formed at the corner of his eyes. He looked down at his watch and realized that he only had fifteen minutes left until the enchantment that Dumbledore had added to the wills wore off and he would once again be a hunted man. He muttered, "_Nox_", and the light at the tip of his wand went out. He began to run as hard as he could, as fast as he could.

As he reached the end of the woods, he could see the distant lights of the community he knew to be the location of the Dursley home on Privet Drive. As he continued sprinting, he could feel the muscles in his legs knotting up. Remus knew that he needed a distraction to block out the pain, so he thought back on his conversation with the woman he loved, Nymphadora Tonks, just before he embarked on this dangerous mission.

"How could he have hidden something this big from you, Remus? Didn't he realize that this was something that he needed to share with you?", Tonks had yelled at him.

"'Dora, he couldn't tell me. It was in James's will for me to not know until the time came that the four of them had passed on. He would have told me if he could have."

"That's no excuse. I would think that he would at least tell Harry. Or that Sirius would have told one of you. This is such bullshit, Remus, and you know it just as much as I do."

"I don't have the time to argue the logic of this with you right now. I need to get to Harry and tell him. I only have eight hours to do it in. We can talk about this more when I get back."

As he turned to grab the knob on the door, he looked back at her and saw that her hair had changed to a shade of red that could have only been matched by a raging flame. She shouted at him, "REMUS JOHN LUPIN! IF YOU LEAVE THIS HOUSE, I WON'T BE HERE WHEN YOU GET BACK!"

He had looked at her with all of the love and affection he had for her and simply said, "I'm sorry if you feel that way, 'Dora. You may not see what I have to do as important as this relationship, but my relationship with Harry is more important. I know that he had parents, and they were two of my closest and most cherished friends, but Harry James Potter is my son. Maybe not by birth, but I helped raise him to be the man that he is now. I knew getting into a relationship with you was going to be a bad idea. But I went against my better judgment, and did it anyway. You are too young for me, 'Dora. You're 22 years old. You'll find someone who can love you better than I can." And with that he opened the door and started to run.

Just as he was about to reach the end of the street he heard her scream at the top of her lungs, "YOU'RE A CRUEL BASTARD, REMUS LUPIN! I HOPE YOU NEVER COME BACK!"

Remembering her yell those sentences made Lupin suddenly aware of his surroundings. He stopped for a moment as he saw the sun slowly creeping over the horizon. He looked down at his watch, and the time he was looking at made him stop breathing. Forty-five minutes had passed since the last time he had checked the time. The enchantment that had been protecting him had faded thirty minutes ago. It was at this moment he heard several distinct pops all around him. He knew he was surrounded by Death Eaters. He knew that the chances of him coming out of this ordeal unscathed were slim to none. But there was still a glimmer of hope within him.

He was less than two miles away from Number 4 Privet Drive.

A loud chorus of "_Stupify_" rang out around him as a huge rush of adrenaline surged through his body. He could not feel his legs anymore. They had gone numb long ago. Several streaks of red light flew around him, but he didn't care. Only one thought was running through his mind, "_I have to get to Harry. I must reach my son._"

Out of nowhere, a purple light hit Remus in the chest, sending him flying backwards through the air. He hit the ground hard and knew that at least five of his ribs were broken, and that his left leg was shattered.

He sat up and thought of the happiest thought he could think of. Telling Harry that he was going to adopt him. He yelled at the top of his voice, "_EXPECTO PATRONUM!"_ A silver wolf shot out of the tip of his wand, and ran back in the direction Remus had just came from. One last message to 'Dora.

He tenderly sat up to see his attacker and was shocked at who he was staring at. A man wearing a brilliant red robe was walking towards him. A man with a white beard and blue eyes that had a faint twinkle in them. He did not wear glasses, but he was wearing a grin that froze Remus Lupin to his core. The only word that Remus could say was, "Y...y...you?"

The man looked down at him and said, "Yes, Remus. Me. Any last words?"

Lupin looked at the man and painfully said, "Your brother was ten times the man you will ever be."

The man with the blue eyes changed his smile to a sneer and pointed his wand at Remus and said, "But I'm still alive. Give him my regards. _Avada Kedavra!_"

Remus heard a voice being carried through the wind. He knew who the voice belonged to and smiled, just as the green light hit Remus in the face. His last thought went through his mind. "_Harry...I love you...son..._".

The man turned away from Lupin's lifeless body and said, "All to easy. The Dark Lord will be pleased."

And with that, Aberforth Dumbledore let out a laugh that could have woken the dead.

A/N: I know what you are thinking. "Why did he kill Lupin in the first chapter? Why didn't Lupin listed to Dumbledore's warning?" Here is my answer: Everything I am doing in this story is done for a reason. I am not killing off characters for no reason. I am not disregarding anything. Everything will come together in future chapters.


	2. Apologies on Privet Drive

**Chapter 2**

Apologies on Privet Drive

The first rays of sunlight broke through the clouds and were starting to creep into the room as Harry awoke with a jolt. He was covered in sweat, as if he had just finished Quidditch practice. He had an unshakeable feeling that something was terribly wrong. He reached his hand up to the lightning-shaped scar on his forehead, expecting a rush of agony to pour out of his head. But the pain never came.

Suddenly, the image of Albus Dumbledore's lifeless body just hanging in the air above the Astronomy Tower before falling to the grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry broke through his now stable mental shields. His blank stare tearing its way through Harry's mind. It was at this moment that for the first time in nearly one month, Harry's scar began to irritate him. He hadn't even felt a prickle of pain since...the night it had happened. Something had happened that was putting Voldemort in a wonderful mood.

Just as suddenly as the pain had arrived, it was gone. Harry shook his head from side to side to make the blur in his vision go away, as he broguht his mental shields back up. He carefully sat up in his bed, and made his way to the window. When he opened the blinds, Harry was momentarily blinded from the sun as it continued to rise over the horizon. He put his glasses on and took in the morning. In the distance he saw several people and red lights moving. Harry knew all to well that he was seeing a man being attacked with multiple stunning spells. The man, who was wearing what looked like brown clothing, was running like a man possessed.

Harry knew he should grab his wand and go help the man, but he knew that it would have been pointless. The man was outnumbered six to one. It was a battle that could not be won. Harry blinked and then noted the arrival of another wizard. The new person in the mix wore red robes and had what looked like a long, white beard. He raised his wand, and a bright purple light shot from his wand and hit the running man square in the chest.

The man on the ground slowly sat up, and a large, silver wolf emerged from his wand. Harry knew exactly who the man on the ground was now. As the man in red approached the man Harry knew to be Remus Lupin, he threw the window open and yelled as loudly as he could, "REMUS!!! NOOO!!!"

Whether Remus heard him or not, Harry did not know. All he knew was that he was too late. A bright, green light hit Lupin in the face, and his body crumpled back onto the ground. Harry grabbed his wand and flew down the stairs of Number 4 Privet Drive. He ignored the yells of Vernon Dursley as he threw the door open and ran faster than he ever had in his entire life. He was less than two hundred yards away when the man in red spun around and looked at Harry with an evil grin on his face.

"Ah...Harry. The Dark Lord sends his regards."

He recognized Aberforth immediately. He ran harder and yelled at Aberforth, "I'm gonna kill you, you SONOFABITCH!!!" He raised his wand and yelled again, "_CRUCIO" _and itwas at this moment, that Aberforth Disapperated. The curse hit where he had been standing moments before.

Harry kept sprinting to the lifeless body of Remus Lupin. Tears were burning his eyes and cheeks. When Harry reached the Marauder, he fell to his knees and held Lupin's head against his chest. Harry had not cried like this since Sirius died. Not even when Dumbledore died. The last true friend that James and Lily Potter had had was now lying dead in his arms.

Harry did not pay attention to his surroundings. He did not notice the clouds in the sky. He did not notice when the rain started to fall. After awhile, Harry felt stiffness in his joints, so he shifted ever so slightly. It was at this moment that Lupin's hand opened and Harry noticed a small, folded piece of parchment.

He reached his hand out and grabbed it. He opened it and read it over and over. Tears were starting to fall again. He folded the parchment back up and stuck it in his pocket. He then held Lupin's head in his hands and kissed him on the forehead. He sat down and just kept saying to the dead man, "I'm sorry."

More time passed, and Harry just kept sitting there. He wasn't aware of his surroundings until he heard the all too familiar voice of Dudley Dursley say, "Oy, Potter! Where you been? We've been waiting for food for hours."

Harry slowly turned his head and simply said, "He's dead."

"Who's dead?"

"The man that was my parents' last true friend. The man that was going to adopt me."

Dudley slowly walked over to Harry and knelt down. He then did something that was very un-Dudley like. He put his hand on Harry's shoulder and said, "Pott...I mean, Harry. I'm sorry. For a lot of different things. For this. For the way I've always treated you. I've always wanted to be nice to you, Harry. Always. But I was scared of what would happen if mum and dad knew that we were friends. You are like a brother to me, Harry. You saved my life from those things...what were they called again?"

"Dementors."

"Yeah, those dementors. I know I should have treated you better. And I aim to start right now."

"How? I don't think you can bring people back from the dead, Dudley."

Dudley looked into Harry's bloodshot eyes and said, "No. I can't. But I can help you carry him back into the house."

Harry smiled for the first time in what seemed like forever. "Thanks, Dud. I would appreciate that."

Dudley helped Harry to his feet. Not knowing what else he could do to comfort his grieving cousin, Dudley hugged Harry for the first time in his entire life. After about a minute, he released the embrace and bent back down to scoop Lupin's body into his arms.

As they walked back towards Number 4 Privet Drive, there was an awkward silence. Dudley hated awkward silences. So he decided to start up a conversation with Harry.

"I know this might sound insensitive, but I'm not quite sure how else to ask you this, Harry."

Harry looked at his cousin and said, "What is it, Dud?"

"Your friend here. Who is he?"

"His name was Remus John Lupin. And he was the last family I had left"

Dudley stopped walking, and turned to face Harry. "You got me now, Harry. And I'll be on your side until I take my last breath. I promise you that."

"Thanks again, Dudley. I never thought I would see the day that you would become Mister Sensitivity."

Dudley smiled and started walking again and said, "Just don't tell anybody. I got a rep to protect, you know."

They continued to walk in silence. Dudley was starting to get uncomfortable again. To break the new silence he asked Harry to tell him about Remus. Harry told numerous stories of Remus, Sirius, and James and their adventures together as the Marauders. It wasn't until they got back to the house that Harry noticed that it was almost sunset and he had spent the entire day out in the field. He didn't feel the least bit hungry, but he was feeling absolutely parched. Dudley recommended that he should take Lupin upstairs while Harry should get some type of refreshment for himself. Neither of them knew that that plan was going to go to hell in a hurry.


	3. Attempted Homocide on Privet Drive

**Chapter 3**

Attempted Homicide on Privet Drive

Harry opened the front door and looked around to see if Vernon and Petunia were around. The coast was clear, so he told Dudley to bring Lupin up to his room. He watched Dudley cautiously carry Lupin up the stairs before he went to the kitchen for some milk.

It was when Harry was pouring his second glass that he heard the sound of Aunt Petunia scream and the booming voice of Vernon Dursley come flying down the stairs.

"WHERE IS THAT FUCKING BOY AT? I'LL KILL HIM FOR THIS! I SWEAR IT, PETUNIA! HE IS AS GOOD AS DEAD!"

Vernon Dursley pushed the door to the kitchen so hard, that Harry thought it was going to come off of its hinges. Vernon's face was more red than ever before. He grabbed Harry by the neck and slammed him against the refrigerator. He then showed incredible strength by lifting Harry off the ground with just one hand.

"WHO THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, BOY? BRINGING A DEAD BODY INTO MY HOUSE? SUBJECTING MY WIFE AND SON TO THAT! IT'S TIME TO BE RID OF YOU, POTTER!"

Harry's face was turning blue from the lack of oxygen. Was this how it was going to end? At Vernon Dursley's hands? Harry was looking around for something to hit Vernon in the head with, to get him to at least slacken his grip against Harry's throat. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the look of anger on the face of Nymphadora Tonks standing outside the window. She raised her wand at Vernon Dursley, and yelled, "_Stupify_".

The jet of red light shot through the window and hit Vernon squarely in the shoulders. His grip loosened as he fell to the ground unconscious. Harry fell to the ground and gasped for air. Tonks let herself into the kitchen through the sliding glass door, and rushed to Harry's side.

"Wotcher, Harry. Are you alright?"

Somehow, Harry managed a raspy reply of "Just peachy."

He walked over to the motionless body of Vernon Dursley and kicked him in the abdomen. "Asshole," Harry spat out, just as Aunt Petunia walked in the door.

Her eyes filled with rage when she saw her husband lying on the floor. She grabbed a knife off of the table and charged at Harry. The look of murder was clear as day on her face. Just as she was about to drive the blade into Harry's chest, Harry and Tonks both shouted, "_Levicorpus"_

Petunia was grabbed by her ankle and was suspended upside down swinging the knife at Harry, but not even close enough to do any damage. She was screaming loudly and her face was starting to turn red due to the blood rushing to her head. Tonks grabbed Petunia's flailing arms and punched her straight in the face. Petunia immediately stopped flailing around, so Harry quietly muttered "_Liberacorpus._" Petunia gently settled to the ground.

Harry stepped over the motionless body of his aunt and gave Tonks a hug as he said, "Thanks, Tonks. I would have been a goner if it wasn't for you."

"No need to thank me, Harry. Umm…Harry, have you spoken to Remus at all? He has a lot of things that he needs to go over with you and I got a Patronus message from him saying that I should come here and talk with you."

Harry looked at his friend. He knew that it would be wrong to tell her that he had not heard from Lupin at all. Tonks and Lupin were lovers, and he knew that by telling her of his death it would create a wound that would take a long time to heal. He knew what he had to do. Harry took a deep breath and let it out as a sigh. "Tonks, I think it would be a good idea if you sat down. There is something you need to know."

And so Harry told her of Remus's final stand. How he kept running as stunners were flying all around him. How out of nowhere Aberforth arrived and simply destroyed him. How Harry in a state of rage and agony used an Unforgivable Curse. As Harry was retelling the events of that day and how he had lost the last friend his parent's had had, they both were in tears. Once Harry was done, they just sat there in silence.

Tonks broke the silence between them. "I should get going. I'm going to take Remus back with me. Are you going to be alright without me here?"

"I'll be fine. I'm going to call the Muggle police and have these two picked up for attempted murder. I think it would be a good idea if you took Dudley with you though. For his safety if these two fuckers get out anytime soon. Take care, Tonks. I'll see you soon. I promise."

They briefly hugged and Tonks went upstairs to get Lupin and Dudley. Harry was dialing the police when he heard a familiar _crack_ come from upstairs. Harry couldn't help but smile when he pictured Dudley's reaction after Apparating.

After the police left with Vernon and Petunia, Harry decided it would be a good idea to go to bed. It had been a long and emotional day, and he was worn out. Unfortunately for Harry, he would not have much of an opportunity to rest.


	4. Dreams of an Old Enemy

**Chapter 4**

Dreaming of an Old Enemy

That night, Harry thought his dreams would be focused on Remus and on what he would do the next time he encountered Aberforth Dumbledore. Instead, his dreams carried him elsewhere. He knew he was dreaming because he remembered laying down on the sofa in the sitting room. The room he was in was barely lit by candles, and he could make out the shape of a girl on the far side of the room.

As Harry got closer to the girl, he was only able to notice a few things about her. The first thing he noticed about her was that she was considerably shorter than he was. Harry was not exactly the tallest guy out there, but he was no slouch at just over six feet. From what he figured, she was about five feet and six inches tall. She had shoulder length black hair and green eyes. As he tried to get a better look at her face, he could only see a dark shadow.

Harry thought he would take a look around the room that she was in. He noticed old furniture, dusty plates, and silver goblets that had lost their luster. He noticed old swords and shields hanging on the walls. One shield in particular had a familiar looking crest on it. A crest that Harry was very familiar with. He turned back towards the girl and suddenly became furious with her. He didn't know who she was, and at the moment Harry didn't really care to find out. All he needed to know was that she was in the home of his deadliest and most dangerous enemy.

She was in the home of Tom Riddle.

Harry noticed that she had her ear pressed against the door, straining to hear what was on the other side. Harry once again tried to look at her face, but the only thing he could see were her green eyes. He pressed his ear to the door and listened intently to the conversation on the other side.

"Normally, I would never question the Dark Lord, but this is my daughter we are talking about here. Is her death really necessary? Can't he find someone else, Aberforth?" the first voice said.

Upon hearing the name of Remus's killer, Harry's fist tightened.

"Hold your tongue, Paris. You knew fully well that this was part of the deal for you to carry the Mark. Our protection for the life of your daughter. Besides, the ritual requires the death of a female mere moments after she becomes of age. Your daughter's birthday is tomorrow. Which means at 10 o'clock tomorrow morning, the time which you told us was her time of delivery, your daughter will die," Aberforth said coldly.

"Please, Aberforth. I'm begging you. Not my little…Not my…Please…My wife is dead. My daughter is all that I have left. Please…," Paris was sobbing hard.

Harry looked at the girl. His anger with her immediately faded when he heard her sniffling and holding back sobs. He wanted to hug her and let her know that he would protect her from harm. She was being held prisoner at the whim of a madman whose sole purpose in life was Harry's demise. She didn't deserve this. He wished there was someway of letting her know that she was not alone. As he reached out to touch her face, Aberforth shouted out once again.

"Oh, Paris, would you just grow a pair? In order for the Dark Lord to have enough power to obliterate the Potter brat, certain sacrifices must be made. In this case, the price of your sacrifice is the life of your daughter…I know what you are thinking right now, Paris. I can read your thoughts. You are trying to find some way to save your daughter. Your mind is far too simple to keep me out, Paris. And now, I'm afraid that there is another price that you have to pay in order to prove your loyalty to the Dark Lord." Harry heard cloaks rustling.

"Aberforth, what are you talking about? Why do you have your wand out? What are you doing?"

"It's quite simple, Paris. I am protecting my investment. _Avada Kadavra!_"

Harry heard Paris's body hit the floor. The girl standing next to him finally let the tears break through and the sounds of her sobs sent daggers through his heart. He was once again wanting to hold her and take her away from this horrible place.

"As I said, Paris, I'm protecting my investment in the Dark Lord's return to power. And at 10 o'clock tomorrow morning, the death of your daughter will give the Dark Lord enough power to finally rid the world of Harry Potter and his beloved Order of the Phoenix. And then nothing will be able to stop us from taking over the world!". Aberforth let out a bone chilling laugh, and then there was no sound except for the girl with the green eyes crying.

Harry turned to look at her once again. Instead of staring down at the floor as he thought she would be doing, her green eyes were staring directly into his, as if she knew he was there. She reached out and grabbed one of his hands and spoke. To him.

"Harry, I need your help. They just killed my father, and now I'm next. I don't want to die, Harry. Please. You are my only hope."

Harry wasn't sure how to react. If she could see him, did that mean that she could hear him as well? He decided to find out.

"I don't even know who you are. What is it exactly that you are wanting me to do?"

"I only want one thing right now, Harry. And that is to be alive in the morning. Will you help me?"

"Listen, like I just said, I don't know who you are."

The green eyed girl placed her other hand on Harry's cheek and said, "Harry, you do know me. That's why I cast this concealment charm on my face. I didn't want you to freak out when you saw who I was. Harry, there isn't much time. Please. Help me. Promise me that you will get me out of here and I will show you my face. Get me out of here, and I will explain how I brought you here and anything else you want to know."

Harry closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He place one hand on her cheek and opened his eyes back up. Emerald eyes met green ones. "I swear, on my magic and my life, that I will do everything in my power to get you out of here. You say that I know who you are. Please, show me."

She sighed. "Okay, Harry. But before I do, I want you to keep one thing in mind. I regret everything that I have done in the past. Not a day goes by where I wish I could take it all back. Remember that." She gave him a quick kiss on the lips and then waived her hand in front of her face, lifting the concealment charm.

And the person that Harry saw in front of him left him speechless.

It was at that precise moment that Harry awoke on the sofa. Under normal circumstances, Harry would have just passed off that dream as a nightmare, but then again, circumstances were never normal when it came to Harry. He sat up and got up off the sofa and made his way to the bathroom. He stared in the mirror for a moment and contemplated everything that had happened in his dream.

He knew he had no choice but to save this girl. He knew in his heart that when she was speaking to him that she was being honest with him. But most importantly he knew that he could not let any harm come to her. She was a scared girl being used as a pawn in Voldemort's twisted game of human chess. He was going to save her. Not because Voldemort would gain unfathomable powers, but because she was an innocent. Harry noticed that he was starting to get that look on his face that Hermione said he gets whenever he decides to do something dangerous, stupid, or dangerously stupid.

And then he thought back on that kiss. So soft and sweet. So emotional. The kiss was not given out of gratitude, but out of pure, raw emotion. She had put her whole heart into that kiss. And for some reason that was far beyond Harry's understanding, he was hoping to get another one after he saved her.

_I will not allow Tom to hurt another innocent. She may not be my most favorite person in the world, but I don't want her to die. There was something there between us, and I want to find out what it was. I swore that I was going to do everything in my power to save her, and that is exactly what I am going to do. I am going to save Pansy Parkinson._

And with that thought, Harry turned on the spot and left Number 4, Privet Drive behind him.


	5. A Tale of One Slytherin

**Chapter 5**

A Tale of One Slytherin

Pansy Parkinson could not believe what she had just done. Not only had she just pleaded with the Chosen One, Harry Potter, to come rescue her, but she had actually kissed him, as well. And it was everything that she had dreamed it would be and more.

For the last six years, she had been harboring a crush for Harry, but had not been able to really tell anybody about it. She had mentioned it in passing once when talking with her dorm mates, but nobody seemed to really catch onto what she had said, not even Slytherin's own version of Hermione Granger, Daphne Greengrass.

From the moment she had first seen Harry outside of the Great Hall, even before Draco had pointed out to everyone who he was, Pansy had been smitten. During the Sorting ceremony, she had been hoping that Harry would be placed in Slytherin, only to hear the ancient Hat call out, "GRYFFINDOR!"

During second year, when all signs were pointing toward Harry being the Heir of Slytherin, Pansy was one of the few people in the school who did not believe that to be true. Not even when it was revealed that Harry was a Parselmouth. She has wanted to let him know that he believed him, but Malfoy, the great prat that her father wanted her to stick close to, was bound and determined to make Harry's life a living hell.

One of Pansy's fondest memories of Harry was when Hagrid, who Pansy thought was a bit odd but knew what he was talking about, had brought the hippogriff to class. Pansy relished the moment when the creature hit Draco in the arm. Of course, when Paris Parkinson heard about this incident, he commanded his daughter to attend to all of Draco's needs. It was at this point, where all of the rumors about her and Draco being an item started to circulate the halls. Pansy threw up all night when that particular rumor was brought to her attention by Tracey Davies.

Fourth year was definitely a challenge for Pansy. She had to admit that no matter what her feelings were for Harry, she had been attracted to Viktor Krum. Could you really blame her though? He was a world famous Quidditch star, after all. He was also a world famous moron. He had once asked her how to cast a simple levitation spell. One that first years learn how to use in their first Charms class. Even though she thought that Krum had been slightly cute, he was no Harry Potter. Hell, Pansy still had a "Harry Potter for Tri-Wizard Champion" t-shirt that she kept buried at the bottom of one of her trunks. It's not that she was ashamed of her attraction to Harry, she knew that if Paris had found out about it, she would not have been able to return to Hogwarts again.

Fifth year found Pansy on Umbridge's Inquisitorial Squad. She was only on the Squad because it gave her a reason to be by Gryffindor Tower every night, although her Prefect privileges gave her the same power. But there was one thing that nobody, not even anybody in Slytherin knew about, when it came to the Great Escape of the Weasley Twins. While yes it was true that they had caused her to sprout antlers, the real reason this occurred was due to the twins finding out about Pansy's crush on Harry. Think about it. Harry's Patronus was a stag. What better way to show her love for him then by turning her into his Patronus?

Looking back on this last year broke Pansy's heart. She knew how much Dumbledore had meant to Harry. She wanted nothing more than to run up to him and give him a hug. To let him know that everything was going to be alright. But his girlfriend, Ginny Weasley probably would have hexed her into oblivion. That was another thing that really bothered Pansy. Ginny Weasley. Pansy really had nothing against her, or the rest of the Weasley clan except for the twins. What bothered her was that Harry dated her. Ginny was a very pretty girl, but at the same time, did he not ever feel like he was dating his mother? Judging from the pictures that Pansy had seen of Lily Potter, Ginny Weasley could have been her doppelganger.

Pansy's current predicament was another story. Pansy had always believed that Paris Parkinson might be a Deatheater, but she never had any real proof until tonight. He had awoken her from her deep slumber and pleasant dreams about a certain raven haired boy with a unique scar on his forehead. He told her to throw on her robe and get ready to go somewhere. He wouldn't tell her where exactly, just that it was imperative for them to go. When she arrived at the decrepit house, she knew that her suspicions had been confirmed. Not just because of the way the house looked, but she had also seen the Dark Mark on her father's arm.

When she had heard about the plans that she was going to be used in, she knew that she had to escape immediately. So she used a power that had been long forgotten to the world of Magic. She used an ability that psychics used called Dreamscaping. Dreamscaping is the ability to project oneself into the sleeping mind of another. She knew it would be a long shot to get him to help her, but getting Harry Potter to at listen to her had been more than she had expected him to do. Even going as far as apologizing for everything she had done in the past, most against her will.

And then there was the kiss. So quick, but full of so much emotion. She was hoping there would be a chance to explain everything to Harry once they left the old house. The look on his face when she had dropped her glamour had been priceless, though. She couldn't wait to tell him about it.

That was what was keeping her going right now. She refused to grieve for Paris. He didn't deserve it. She knew that Harry was on his way. He had to be. If only to find out why she had contacted him. It was this thought that made her smile.

And then she heard a soft _crack_ on the far side of the room. She turned to see who had just Apparated into the room, and an even bigger smile crossed her face. She was staring into the pair of emerald eyes that she had been dreaming of every night for the last six years.


	6. Encounter at the House of Riddle

**Chapter 6**

Encounter at the House of Riddle

A common misconception that many people that have never Apparated before, is that Apparation is instantaneous. Harry had believed the same thing until he had side-along Apparated with Professor Dumbledore. The truth of the matter, is that traveling time depends on how far away you are actually traveling to. If Harry had been Apparating down to the downstairs kitchen, it would have taken about half of a second.

But Harry's destination was not the downstairs kitchen. Harry was traveling from Surrey to Little Hangleton. Harry wished that the trip was instantaneous. Than he wouldn't have had any time to think about what he was doing. But no. Harry spent the next 30 seconds having the same thought spin around in his head.

_Why am I risking my life for someone that has been making my life a living hell? I'm an idiot._

When Harry finally arrived at his destination, he had been expecting to end up right outside of the cemetery's gate in Little Hangleton. This was not the case. He once again found himself standing in a room with swords, shields, crests, and candles lining the walls. He really hoped that she wouldn't turn around and see him there. Once again, this was not the case.

Pansy turned around and saw Harry standing at the far side of the room. Where a smile had already been grew even larger.

"Hello, Harry. I was hoping you would show up." Pansy said.

"I told you I would get you out of here. I keep my promises, no matter who I make them to." Harry replied.

"I know that, Harry. It's one of the traits I have always admired about you. I know you have a lot of questions, and I will be more than happy to answer all of them. But not here. That was my condition. Get me out of here to someplace safe and you can ask me just about any damn thing you want to."

Harry walked over to the door that he had pressed his ear up to just a few hours before. He did not hear anything. Harry turned to Pansy and asked, "How many Death Eaters were guarding this door?"

"Just the one called Aberforth." Pansy noticed Harry's body tense up at the mention of the name. "He had been talking to my father for a long time before I entered the Dreamscape to ask for your help."

"The Dream-what?"

"The Dreamscape. It's a very old type of magic that not many know still exists. Muggle psychologists and hypnotists use a form of it all the time. You project yourself into a persons dreams to analyze what is going on with them. I used a variation of it. Instead of putting myself into your dream, I pulled your subconscious to me. It was the only way I could get you to see what my situation is."

"So in a way, it's Legilimency?"

"It's a form. Look, Harry. We don't have much time left. Look at the window. The sun is starting to rise. Can we continue this conversation somewhere else?"

"Can you Apparate?"

"Legally, yes I can. It is technically my 17th birthday. But I can't Apparate out. There is an anit-Apparation ward that only allows those carrying the Dark Mark able to pass through. Which makes me wonder how you were able to get through." Pansy pulled out her wand and pointed it at Harry. "Please forgive me for this, Harry. Roll up your sleeve."

Harry, surprised by the speed of the young woman pulling her wand on him, pushed his left sleeve up to show Pansy his forearm. When Pansy saw nothing was there, she put her wand away and let out a breath that she hadn't even realized she had been holding. "I'm sorry, Harry. I had to be sure."

Harry nodded. "I understand. I'm kind of curious myself as to how I got through. If I was able to get in, it should be no trouble for me to get out. I know a place where you will be safe. You might not like it because of who lives there, but it is the safest place I know of, other than Hogwarts. So I guess I have just one question right now. Are you ready to get out of here?" Harry held out his hand for Pansy to take.

Pansy took his hand and smiled. _THIS IS THE BEST BIRTHDAY PRESENT EVER! I CAN'T BELIEVE MY LUCK! I'M HOLDING HARRY POTTER'S HAND! HARRY POTTER'S HAND!_

"Okay, Pansy. Hang on tight."

Pansy tightened her grip on Harry's hand. If Harry had turned his head to look at Pansy, he would have seen an even bigger smile cross her face.

Aberforth Dumbledore couldn't believe his luck. The last 24 hours had gone just the way he planned. First, he had eliminated his brothers pet werewolf, Remus Lupin. Next, he kidnapped the Parkinson brat, whose power would cause his Master's to increase when her life force was extinguished. But his absolute favorite moment had been when he killed Paris Parkinson. The look on his face when he pulled his wand out had been priceless.

But now he was going to gain even more favor with the Dark Lord. Now the final piece of the ritual would be brought before him. Now Lord Voldemort would be invincible. He approached the door to the room she was being kept in. _Time to put a little fear into the girl._

"Tell me, child. Are you ready to help defeat Harry Potter? Are you ready to do your pure-blood duty and die to help your Lord?"

Aberforth opened the door to find…nothing. The room was empty except for the items hanging on the walls and the candles lighting the room. Aberforth let out a yell of anger. He knew he was going to have to pay for this. The Dark Lord would not show mercy, and Aberforth knew he deserved none. He had failed, and there was now only one thing that he could do.

Aberforth pulled out his wand and took a deep breath. He then rolled up his sleeve and touched the tip of his wand to his Mark. The burning pain in his arm told him what he already knew.

The Dark Lord was on his way.

**A/N: I am very pleased so far to the response to this story. For my first attempt at writing fan fiction, I must admit I was overwhelmed by how many of you have added this story, as well as myself, to your favorites list. So definitely a big thank you to all of you that are reading this story. Special thanks to crackerjackie20 and lectorsum for your reviews. Please review story. I would love to hear your thoughts so far. And for those of you wondering when the action is going to start picking up, that will be coming within the next few chapters. Keep reading, because the best has yet to come.- FlyorFight**


	7. Truths and Revelations

**Chapter 7**

Truths and Revelations

The sun was making its way over the horizon when Harry and Pansy appeared in a field just outside of Ottery St. Catchpole. Harry looked around for a couple of moments before figuring out which direction he was needing to go into. They walked in silence for several minutes until Harry began feeling uncomfortable.

"Alright, Pansy. I got you out of Riddle Manor. I lived up to my end of the deal. Now it's your turn."

Pansy stopped walking and turned to face Harry. "Yes, you did. And, contrary to what you may believe, I also keep my promises. Something I picked up from you, by the way. Hit me with your best shot, Harry." Pansy started to walk again, so Harry had to walk briskly to catch back up with her.

"Okay. There are going to be a lot of them, which is why I Apparated us so far away from our destination. So, here is my first question. Why did you ask me for help?"

Pansy smiled. "I had figured that was going to be your first question. It is probably also going to be the easiest one for me to answer. The reason why I came to you for help, Harry James Potter, is because I knew you would never let an innocent, no matter who they are, get hurt. In a way, I used you, and for that I am truly sorry."

"You were right. There is no reason for innocent people to get hurt. No matter who they are, if they are unable to help themselves, those who have the power to do so should. Time for my next question. Ever since that whole Dreamscape thing you have been nothing but nice to me. Apologizing. Complimenting. Using my first name instead of my last. What are you up to?"

"I'm not up to anything, Harry. I give you my word. This is the real Pansy Parkinson. The person I am at school is a fraud. That's the person my father had wanted me to be. That's the only reason I ever followed Malfoy around. It was what he wanted. He had wanted me to get close to Draco, so that one day we would get married. Being around that bastard was terrible, but the thought of me being Mrs. Draco Malfoy almost makes me want to jump into the Black Lake and let the giant squid devour me."

Harry stopped walking. "Wait a second. If all that time you were around Malfoy just because your father wanted you to be, why were you such a bitch whenever he wasn't around? Why make my life even more of a living hell?"

Pansy started to get angry with Harry. "To answer your first question, the reason I was such a bitch to everyone was because it's the way I am perceived. Because I'm in Slytherin and a pureblood, everyone automatically assumes that I am prejudice towards all Muggle-born and half-blood people. Just because some people in my House are that way doesn't mean that we all are. I can guarantee you that not one girl in my dorm is. Daphne's parents don't want anything to with the war. Millicent's mother was falsely accused of conspiring against the Ministry and thrown into Azkaban. And for your information, Tracey _is_ a half-blood. As to your second question, Mister Potter, didn't anyone ever teach you anything about women? When one is mean to you, it means that she is absolutely, unwaveringly crazy about you!" Pansy yelled the last part at Harry, then turned and ran off crying. She didn't know where she was going, but quite frankly she didn't care. She just needed to get away.

Harry ran after Pansy, yelling her name and pleading with her to stop. She was a lot faster that Harry had expected her to be. It took about two minutes of chasing after her before he caught up to her. He spun her around by the arms and wrapped her into a hug.

Pansy was banging on Harry's chest with her fists and yelling at him to just let her go. She was crying so hard and using so much energy that she eventually fell to her knees. Harry never let her go. He sat on the ground next to her, never saying a single word. He just let her cry, but he never let go. After awhile, Pansy's crying turned into gentle sobs. She opened her eyes and noticed that at some point, she had wrapped her arms around Harry's chest. She looked up at him through red eyes and barely spoke the words, "You didn't let me go." Harry gently shook his head.

When Harry felt that Pansy had composed herself, he helped her stand up, all while never relinquishing his hold on her. He didn't let her go until she unwrapped her own arms around him to wipe the tears out of her eyes.

"You must think I am a horrible person, Harry. For the last six years, I have been crazy about you, but the only way I could tell you was by being terrible to you. And then seeing you last year with Ginny Weasley, it nearly broke my heart. And before you say some smartass comment, yes, I have a heart. But there is one thing about you dating Ginny Weasley that I don't understand. How could you do that?"

Harry had a bewildered look on his face. "I'm not sure I understand the question."

"I thought you were supposed to be smart, Harry. Close your eyes."

"Why do I need to close…"

"Shut up and trust me on this, Harry. Now close your eyes." Harry closed his eyes. "Now picture Ginny's face in your mind. Can you see her face?" Harry nodded. "Good. Now, picture your mother's face right next to Ginny's. What do you see?"

Harry scrunched his eyes tighter to visualize what Pansy was saying. And then, it hit him.

"OH, BLOODY HELL! I WAS DATING MY MUM!"

Pansy couldn't help but laugh. "Do you mean to tell me, that none of your friends, not even Granger, made that connection? So much for her being the smartest witch of our age." Pansy fell back to her knees due to laughing so hard. Tears were streaming down her face again, but not out of sadness. These were tears of pure joy and amusement.

"It's not funny, Pansy. I made out with a girl that looks like my mum." Harry gagged for a second.

"Think of it this way, Harry. Most guys end up marrying women that subconsciously remind them of their mothers. You have realized this, so you now know that you will never marry Ginny Weasley. Think about what could have happened if you came to this realization after being married for years and having children. Actually, don't. I've already scarred you enough today. I dropped this bombshell on you just moments after telling you I'm in love with you." Pansy slapped her hands over her mouth as soon as the words left them.

"Would you mind repeating that? It sounded an awful lot like you said you were in love with me." Harry said.

Pansy lowered her head and mumbled something.

"Would you mind saying that a little louder?"

"I said that I did say I'm in love with you. I've been in love with since before I even knew who you were. Do you know how badly I was wanting you to be Sorted into Slytherin? If you had been, my father would never have made me be Draco's servant and maybe you and I could have had a real shot together."

It was Harry's turn to mumble something.

Pansy used Harry's own words against him. "Mind speaking up a bit?"

"I said the Sorting Hat wanted to put me in Slytherin, but I asked it not to."

"Do you mean to tell me, that Harry James Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, The Chosen One, The Winner of the Tri-Wizard Tournament, The Gryffindor Golden Boy, was supposed to be in Slytherin all along?"

"It said that if I was in Slytherin, great things would happen for me. But I had been told that most wizards that were in Slytherin went bad. And I didn't want that to happen to me."

"I understand and respect that, Harry. If I had been raised in the Muggle world and been told that, I would have done the exact same thing." Pansy was silent for a moment before continuing. "Want to hear something funny? The Hat told me the only reason it was putting me in Slytherin was because my mother was in Slytherin. I never knew who she was though. She left me with my father shortly after I was born. And want to know hear something even funnier? My father was actually in Gryffindor. Played Quidditch with your dad."

Harry thought about what she had just said, and on other things she had been saying over the last several hours. "I notice that you keep calling him your father. Why not dad?"

"Harry, any guy can be a father. It takes a good man to be a dad. Sadly, Paris Parkinson stopped being my dad the year before I got my Hogwarts letter. He had received a strange looking cup in the mail, and from that day onward, he just became my father."

"A cup? Your father started acting strange when he got a cup?"

Pansy smiled briefly. "I know it sounds strange, but there was something about that cup that always gave me the creeps. Anytime I went near it, I felt this, I don't know, dark presence trying to wrap it's way around me."

Harry got serious all of a sudden. A thought had just hit him, and he wanted to get all the facts straight before jumping to conclusions. "That does sound strange, but I need you to do something a little stranger. I need you to tell me more about this cup. Anything special about it that you can remember."

Pansy studied Harry's expression. There was something more going on with him then she could ever have imagined. Maybe someday he would trust her enough to tell her. She closed her eyes and pictured the cup in her mind. "It's goblin crafted. The cup itself is silver with gold handles. It's about seven inches tall. There is a black swirl that is constantly in motion throughout the cup. Some type of dark magic, I think. That's all I can think of, Harry."

"Are you sure? Pansy, this is very important." Harry said with a sense of anxiety and desperation.

"Wait. There is one more thing. There is an emerald letter "H" on the cup. I'm sorry, Harry. That's all, really."

Harry turned his back on Pansy. _That has to be Hufflepuff's cup. It's one of Voldmort's Horcruxes. I need to get to the Burrow so I can tell Ron and Hermione._

Harry turned back around. "Pansy, we need to get moving. I need to talk to some people about something."

Pansy nodded and started walking behind Harry. _Something I said seems to have really gotten to Harry. What is so important about a stupid cup? And what about what I said earlier about being in love with him? He never really responded to that._

As if reading her mind, Harry said, "Pansy, we still have to talk some more about that 'being in love with me thing'. But not right now. That is going to have to wait. But I promise, we are going to finish that conversation." Harry continued walking towards the Burrow. He had found a Horcrux and Pansy Parkinson of all people was the one who had it.

Pansy continued following Harry, contemplating what would happen when their conversation resumed. It would be interesting to find out what his thoughts were, but at the same time, it would also be frightening to find out what Harry's thoughts of her were. Of one thing she was absolutely certain of. One thought that was swimming around in her head and it was the only outcome that would come from the conversation.

_I'm screwed._


	8. Pain and Confessions

**Chapter 8**

Pain and Confessions

Harry couldn't help but smile as he saw the Burrow. The home of the Weasley family had been a safe haven for Harry over the years whenever life was at its bleakest, which was often. Harry quickened his pace from a fast walk to a jog. The house seemed to be larger than usual, but that was probably due to the busy movements going about the grounds. He could make out several red-topped heads scurrying about setting up a large white tent. Harry stopped and turned to speak with Pansy.

"This is the home of the Weasley's. Like I said earlier, this is one of the safest places I can think of. The wards are very powerful, and it would take a strong force of magic to get past them. You'll be safe here."

"You're not staying, Harry?" Pansy's asked worriedly.

"I have to return to my relatives home to pick up my belongings and then I will return. Don't think that you have gotten out of our conversation that easily, Miss Parkinson." Harry said with a devious smile. "Don't worry. I'm not going to just leave you here. I will walk you up to the house, and then I will run my errand."

Pansy nodded and took a deep breath as they resumed walking towards the Weasley home.

Harry resumed his light jogging pace when he felt himself cross the wards of the Burrow. He was several yards ahead of Pansy when he heard her scream out in pain. He turned in time to see her being thrown backwards into the air. He turned around and sprinted back to her side. Pansy was writhing on the ground in pain. Harry noticed that although her mouth was opening to scream out, no sound was emerging.

"Pansy. Are you okay?" Harry asked with genuine concern in his voice as he knelt down beside her.

"Can't-c-c-cross wards. An-anti in-t-t-trusion c-c-charm. N-not-in t-t-tune to my m-m-mag-magical signature." She opened her mouth to scream out in agony, but again, no sound came out.

"_Finite Incantatum._" Nothing happened. "Pansy, I'm going to go get Mr. or Mrs. Weasley. They will be able to lift whatever it is that is causing you pain. I'll be right back."

Harry stood and prepared himself to run to the Burrow when Pansy's hand shot out and grabbed him by the ankle.

"P-p-please, Har-rr-y. Don't l-l-leave m-me alone out-t-t here." Pansy begged him.

Harry knelt back down and took Pansy's hand in his. "I won't go anywhere. We'll just wait here until somebody finds us." Pansy nodded her head and opened her mouth, once again sound failing to be made. Harry pulled out his wand and pointed it up into the air. "_Periculum._" Red sparks shot out of the end and exploded into the sky. "Help will be here soon." Pansy nodded again, squeezing Harry's hand tightly.

"Al-always w-wondered what it w-w-would b-be like to h-h-hold your hand." Another shot of pain swept through her body as she once again squeezed Harry's hand. "N-nev-never thought it w-would happen like this." Pansy joked.

Harry smiled. "Never even thought that I would ever be holding your hand. Not as bad as I would have thought it was." Harry winked at her to let her know that he was just joking.

Pansy blushed. "Want to have t-that con-conversation now? Keep my m-mind off of t-t-things?"

"Sure. Why don't you tell me more about this being-in-love-with-me thing."

Pansy winced again. "Pretty self explanatory r-r-really. Almost told you at the Y-Y-Yule B-Ball. Hell, almost asked you to the Yule Ball. Then when I heard you in the Owlery asking Cho, I figured m-my love would always be f-f-from afar."

"So that kiss this morning?"

"Nowhere near as p-pa-passionate as I w-w-wanted it to be. If I was going to die, I wanted to at l-least know what it was like t-t-to kiss you."

"And…?"

Another wince. "Better than I could have imagined."

"Have you ever tried to not be in love with me?"

"My friend, Breena, once told me 'There is no remedy for love, but to love more.' Does that answer your question?" Pansy was squeezing Harry's hand so tightly and often that both of their hands were pale white.

"Not really." Harry said mischievously.

"I tried o-once, it only made me l-l-love you more."

"Can I tell you something, Pansy?" Pansy nodded. "You were never my most favorite person at school. But over the last few hours, I have seen sides of you that I never thought existed. I've seen you cry. I've heard you laugh. I mean, really laugh. And right, now you are in agonizing pain. There is nothing I wouldn't do right now to make this pain stop."

"W-what are you t-trying to t-t-tell me, Harry?" Pansy asked in between shots of pain.

"Pansy, over the last few hours, I have started to find myself attracted to you." Harry said, his face turning bright red.

Before Pansy could respond to Harry's admission, a voice in the distance called out, "HARRY!"

Harry turned his head to see Ron and Hermione running towards them. "Over here." He turned back to Pansy. "Help will be here in a moment."

Ron was the first one to reach them. "Harry. There you are mate. We saw the sparks and…What the hell is she doing here?" Ron pulled his wand out and aimed it straight at Pansy. "How do you like that, Parkinson? Now you're starting to get a little bit of what you deserve."

Hermione grabbed Ron by the arm. "Ronald Weasley, are you blind? She is here with Harry. Harry, what is going on?"

"Long story. Tell you later, along with some other news. Right now, I need one of Ron's parents to lift this anti-intrusion charm off of Pansy."

Ron looked at Harry questioningly when he addressed Pansy by her first name. "Pansy? You two are on a first name basis? Why the hell should my parents do anything to help her? She's a Slytherin and has made our lives hell. She deserves to suffer. In fact…" Ron pointed his wand back at Pansy. "_Cru…_"

"_EXPELLIARMUS!" _A voice behind Ron called out. Ron's wand flew from his hand and was snatched out of the air by…

"Percy?" Ron asked as he turned around.

"Ronald Billius Weasley! Of all people in this world, I would never have imagined that you would try using an Unforgivable Curse on anyone. You can be sent to Azkaban for that. I know. I sent a lot of people myself. Scrimgeour made certain of it."

"I know, but she is a Slytherin." Ron fumed.

"Slytherin or not, who gives a shit? You should never use an Unforgivable. If my time in the Ministry taught me anything it's this: No matter what someone has done to you in the past, their future has yet to be written. I was a stooge of Fudge for so long, I thought I was doing the right thing. But I wasn't. I changed my future. I left and rejoined my family. And now I am going to be teaching Transfiguration at Hogwarts this year. And my apologies to you, Harry. I've been a terrible person the last couple of years."

"Yeah, whatever, Percy. Right now, I don't really give a shit. I just care about lifting the damn anti-intrusion charm off of Pansy. So get your mum or dad, so we can get that taken care of." Harry said, never taking his eyes off of Pansy.

"There's no need for that. I can lift it, Harry." Percy pulled out his wand and aimed it at Pansy. "I, Percy Ignatius Weasley, allow Pansy Parkinson onto the grounds of the Burrow."

Immediately, Pansy stopped convulsing. Harry placed her arms around his neck and he scooped her into his arms. He immediately turned to Ron. "You and I- we are going to have some serious words." He then turned towards the Burrow, Pansy still in his arms, and began to walk.

Hermione walked up beside Ron and said, "I cannot believe you, Ron. You were being just as prejudiced as Malfoy. And attempting to use an Unforgivable. But never mind that now. What do you make of Harry bringing Pansy here?"

"I don't care what she is doing here. She is not going to be staying long. When my parents find out she is a Slytherin, they will send her backstabbing ass away." Ron said vehemently before leaving Hermione behind him.

Hermione turned to face the only Weasley still around. "Percy, thanks for your help. Are you really teaching this year?"

Percy nodded. "Professor McGonagall asked me to come back and teach when she found out that I had been being used by the Minister to try and get Harry to turn his back on Dumbledore. I was the only one in my year to receive a Mastery of Transfiguration in my N.E.W.T., so she thought that once I had made my decision to leave the Ministry, it would be a perfect change in career for me. Especially since she has been named Headmistress of Hogwarts."

"I wish I could be there to experience your teaching style, Percy."

"You're not returning to school this year?" Hermione shook her head and looked away. "I won't pry, Hermione. It must be a good reason for you to not return."

"None of us are returning. Harry, Ron, and myself. We have something important to do. A task given to us by Dumbledore. That's all I can say, unless Harry says otherwise."

Percy nodded his head in understanding. "May I make one suggestion?" Hermione nodded once again. "No matter what the task is, you should return to school. Not because whatever it is might not be as important, but you can always use the knowledge of the professors to your advantage. And I would be more than happy to give you any of my knowledge that you might require."

"Thanks, Percy. I'll bring that idea up to Harry. Now, how about we go watch what I am sure is going to be a huge fight between Harry and your brother?"

Percy smiled and held out his arm, which Hermione took. "I think that would a smashing idea."

**A/N: I know the last couple of chapters have had a lot of dialogue, but as promised, the next chapter will have a lot of action in it. Plus, a certain Snake will be arriving to the Household of Lions.**


	9. Fisticuffs and an Ultimatum

**Chapter 9**

Fisticuffs and an Ultimatum

"Are you sure it was Aberforth?" Molly Weasley asked after Harry had recounted the tale of Remus's last stand and the Dreamscape with Pansy.

"For the third time, Mrs. Weasley, I know who I saw. He was the one who murdered Remus and I was standing outside the door when he killed Pansy's father." Harry replied shortly. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Weasley. The last 24 hours have been quite difficult."

"That's quite alright, dear. I understand. Why don't you get some rest?"

"Not yet. There are some things I have to take care of. First, I need to get back to the Dursley's to retrieve my things. It will be the last time I ever go back there. And maybe a quick stop in Diagon Alley. And then when I get back, Ron and I have some things to sort out. And I would appreciate it if nobody in your family interfered." Harry said.

Molly, not yet knowing what had happened out in the field, simply nodded her head. "How will you be getting to the Dursley home? It's too far to fly and you don't have permission to create a Portkey."

Harry smiled. "Mrs. Weasley, have you forgotten what today is? It's July 31st. I am legally of age."

Mrs. Weasley shook her head. "Of course not, dear. I was just not sure if you were able to Apparate yet. I'll keep a close watch on Ms. Parkinson and will let you know if anything changes." Molly gave a smile and turned around. The fact of the matter was that she _had_ forgotten that today was Harry's birthday. Her mind was starting to race with all of the things that would need to be done in order to prepare for his party.

"Mrs. Weasley, if you don't mind there is one other thing I would like you to do for me."

Molly turned back around, her smile still on her face. "Anything, dear." Harry stepped closer to Mrs. Weasley so that only she would be able to hear the conversation if anyone else walked into the room. After telling her what it was he wanted her to do, Harry stepped back with a big smile on his face. "I think that is a lovely idea, Harry. I'll get straight to it."

Harry ran outside with a smile still on his face. He didn't notice Ron staring daggers in his direction as he Disapperated with a medium sized _crack_.

Ron watched as Harry exited the Burrow with a smile on his face. Questions were racing through his mind at an astounding rate. _What is going on with Harry? Why was he with a Slytherin? An even better question being, why was he with the Bitchy Pug-faced Princess herself?_

Ron continued to watch as Harry Disapperated to who-knows-where. He turned the corner to the house and stormed inside. He found his mother covering up Pansy with a light blanket on the sofa in the front room. Ron's blood began to boil once again.

Molly Weasley turned around to see her youngest son's face turning dark red. She placed a hand on Pansy's cheek, and then followed him into the kitchen, where Ron must have cast Silencing charms, because he began yelling at the top of his voice.

"What the hell is she still doing here?"

"Ronald Weasley, first and foremost, you will lower your tone of voice when speaking to me. Secondly, she is here because she is a guest in this house. And thirdly, who the hell do you think you are questioning anything I do in my own home?"

"A guest? She tried to cross the wards!"

"Because she is with Harry. If you knew what those two had been through in the last 24 hours, you wouldn't be acting like this."

"I don't care what they have been through. She is probably using the Imperious on Harry."

"Ronald!" Mrs. Weasley yelled in shock.

"Mum, she is a Slytherin. One of the worst in our year. She is called the Cruel Bitch around school. Do you think they call her that because of her sunny personality? I want her out of this house immediately or I am leaving." Ron stormed out the kitchen door back onto the grounds of the Burrow where he saw Hermione and Percy standing closely together. Ron's blood boiled even further. He pictured in his mind Diagon Alley and Disapperated with a very audible _crack!_

Hermione and Percy had been walking the grounds for the last two hours, not really talking about any one thing in particular. Percy kept to his word and did not ask anything about the upcoming mission. They talked about how Percy had seen the light behind the Ministry's corruption. How his ex-girlfriend, Penelope Clearwater, had convinced him to take the Transfiguration position. Eventually, the conversation moved to Harry and Pansy.

"If you ask me, it all makes perfect sense for Harry to be with Pansy." Percy said.

"What do you mean? She is one of the most bitter and cruel people in all of Hogwarts." Hermione responded.

"Not everything is what it always seems to be, Hermione. What if the cruelness and bitterness that she has been displaying for years, is nothing more than an act to keep people out? What if she has been mean to Harry for the last few years, not out of spite, but out of love?"

"It wasn't just Harry she was cruel to, Percy. But love? Pansy may be a lot of things, but she is definitely not in love with Harry Potter." Hermione stated with absolute certainty.

"You don't think it is possible that her cruelty was a defense mechanism?" Hermione shook her head. "You know, Penelope once told me that some women are cruel to men because they harbor feelings for them. What if that is the reason she has been treating him like that?"

"I agree that her theory does have some merit. I mean, there was once a certain Head Boy that I remember that was often on the receiving end of some ridicule. You might know him." Hermione said playfully.

Percy smiled. "I know. I was a little full of myself back then." Hermione looked at him with a look that said that she knew better. "Alright, so I was very full of myself and I was an arrogant ass. But you aren't any better, you know."

"Me? What's wrong with me?" Hermione asked, flabbergasted.

Percy shot his hand up into the air and did his best Hermione impression. "Oh, pick me, Professor. I know the answer to everything."

Hermione couldn't help but laugh. "Okay, so I tend to showoff a lot. I know, it's pathetic." She rested her head on Percy's arm as they continued to walk. "You know, Percy, you are the first Weasley other than your sister that I have been able to talk to this openly about anything."

Percy stopped walking and turned to face the young woman that he had been with for the last couple of hours. "What about Ron?"

"Ron is too thick-headed to have a conversation with. I can tell that he fancies me, but he is too afraid to act on his feelings. But it wouldn't do him any good. I see Ron the same way I see Harry."

"Which is?" Percy asked as he leaned in closer to Hermione.

"As a brother. I've had my eye on a different Weasley for quite some time, now." She whispered as she closed the distance between them. The kiss between them lasted only a few short seconds, but it said a lot about the two people involved. It was not a kiss of desperation or lust. It was a kiss of mutual attraction. It was a kiss shared by two people that had more in common than many people would have though possible.

To Hermione, it was the first kiss that she ever had. Sure, Viktor Krum had tried several times to kiss her, but she was never that interested in Viktor. Her crush on Percy had started in her third year, but at the time he had been dating Penelope. At the same time, the thought of a seventh year being with a third year seemed rather odd also. So her feelings were never acted upon until this moment.

Just as Hermione broke the kiss from Percy, she looked up at him with a bright smile and blushing red cheeks. "Sorry. I couldn't help myself. I've been wanting to do that for four years."

"Don't be. I've wanted to do that for an hour." Percy replied. He started to lean in to kiss her again, but was interrupted by a loud _crack._

They both turned in the direction that the apparent Disapperation came from.

"One guess who that was." Percy said.

Hermione responded by saying what Percy was obviously thinking. "This won't be good."

"He did what?" Molly yelled.

Percy and Hermione had just told the Weasley matriarch about what had happened in the field when Harry and Pansy had arrived.

"It's true, mum. I had to use a disarming spell when I heard him start to say the incantation for the Cruciatus curse." Percy said.

"He also seemed quite convinced that Pansy was using the Imperious curse on him." Molly added. She had also taken the time to tell them about her encounter with her youngest son.

"Which is just utter nonsense, Mum. Ron knows as well as anyone that Harry can shrug off the Imperious curse with ease."

Molly nodded. "I agree with you that Harry has a strong magical core. Stronger than many that I have ever been in the presence of. It would take a lot to overcome that. No, I think it is something much stronger than that."

"What do you think it is, Mrs. Weasley?" Hermione asked.

"I can't say. I promised Harry I wouldn't. But he did mention something else. Something involving Ron that he didn't want anyone from the family interfering with. Do you have any idea what it is?"

"I'm pretty sure they are going to be fighting, mum."

"Harry and Ron fighting? Whatever would they do that for?"

"Harry seems to be very protective of Pansy. Our theory is that something is happening between them, and Ron is upset because it is a Slytherin girl and a Gryffindor boy." Hermione answered. "And with the ultimatum that you said Ron gave you, I'm afraid the only thing that would calm either one of them down would be for it to come down to an outright fight."

"Can't say that I blame Harry, either. If it came down to choosing between my best friend and the person I loved, I know which side I would be on." Molly said with a sigh.

"What do you mean by 'the person I loved', Mrs. Weasley?"

"I've said too much, already. All I know is it's going to break poor Ginny's heart when she finds out."

"Where is Ginny, anyway? I haven't seen her all day." Percy inquired.

"You know your sister. Never able to keep still in this house during the summer. I think she said she was going over to Dean Thomas's home. He just moved up the street, you know."

"Did you say Dean Thomas?" Hermione asked, to which Molly nodded in the affirmative. "Mrs. Weasley, Ginny and Dean used to date. I think she might be trying to get back together with him."

"I thought she was with Harry." Mrs. Weasley said, with a bit of confusion.

"Not anymore. They broke up at the end of term."

"What happened between them?"

"Nothing, really. Harry just thought it would be better if they weren't together anymore. For Ginny's safety."

Mrs. Weasley looked shocked. "Why would he do such a thing? Ginny can take care of herself."

"Mum, I think he did it because You-Know-Who is gunning for him. And after hearing Tonks tell us about what happened to Remus, I can definitely see Harry's point-of-view." Percy said.

"What point-of-view?" A voice asked from the doorway leading outside.

"Harry, you're back. I was just saying that I can see why you would have broken up with Ginny to protect her. Personally, I would have thought it would have been for a different reason, but that is neither here nor there."

"Percy, what other reason are you talking about?" Hermione asked taking a drink of pumpkin juice.

"Well, it may sound strange, but from what I remember seeing in old pictures at school, Ginny looks a lot like Harry's mother."

Hermione spat her juice all over Harry. "Thanks for the shower, Hermione."

"Sorry, Harry. What do you mean she looks like his mum?"

"If you picture the two of them side-by-side, it's like a mirror image." Percy said.

"Pansy said the same thing earlier." Harry said. "And she is right. If I survive things with Voldemort…" Mrs. Weasley shuddered. "…there is no chance in hell of me getting back together with Ginny. Pardon my language, Mrs. Weasley." Mrs. Weasley waved her hand to show she didn't mind. "Now if you will all excuse me for a moment, I'm going to go check on Pansy and then I am going to speak with Ron." Harry said the last three words through his teeth.

Harry was about to walk out of the room when Percy grabbed him by the arm. "She's fine, Harry. She's been asleep for hours. Now in regards to my little brother, we need to talk about what happened after you left."

Percy, Hermione, and Mrs. Weasley all went on to tell what had happened in the last few hours since Harry had left. When Mrs. Weasley told Harry about the ultimatum, his face grew red and green energy started to emanate from his hands and radiated throughout the room.

"When Ron gets back, him and I are going to have words, and not the spoken kind, either. If you will excuse me, I'm going to go put my things away and prepare for the party." Harry said as he left the room.

"Did you feel the power radiating out of Harry?" Hermione asked once the door swung shut.

Percy nodded. "I've never felt power like that, except for one person. Albus Dumbledore."

Mrs. Weasley also nodded. "Albus was extremely powerful, but I think Harry might be even more powerful than he was."

"Mrs. Weasley, do you remember when you said that Harry asked for nobody to interfere?" Hermione asked. Molly nodded. "I think that would be a good idea."

"I agree. But in the mean time, would you mind helping me with the party decorations?"

The three of them got to work on different projects in silence. Molly began to work on the cake, Hermione worked on decorations, and Percy was setting up the tables and chairs. The reason nobody was saying anything was because they were all having the same thought. None of them wanted to be Ron when he got back.

It was nearly four o'clock when Ron arrived back at the Burrow. He had needed a lot of time to cool off. He knew he had behaved like an idiot. He should have let Harry explain why Pansy was with him. He should never have tried to use an Unforgivable. And he knew he never should have given his mum an ultimatum. More importantly, he knew he was going to have to apologize for everything he had done. He just wasn't sure how everyone was going to react to his apologies.

Ron was starting up the end of the walkway to enter the front of the house, when the door flew open to reveal a very pissed off Harry Potter."Harry, mate, let me apologize before you do anything. It was stupid of me to not give you a chance to explain anything. I know you weren't under the Imperious. But there had to be a good reason you were with that bitchy, pug-faced princess and I shou…" Ron never got to finish his sentence as Harry ran full force at Ron and lowered his shoulder into his gut.

Ron fell backwards with Harry on top of him. He moved his head to the left just as Harry was bringing his left fist down, barely missing him. He pushed Harry off of him and managed to get back to his feet. They began to circle each other as they planned out their next moves.

"Harry, will you just wait one second. Give me a chance to explain." Ron pleaded.

Harry shook his head and charged forward again. The good part of being Dudley's favorite punching bag for so many years was that it had taught Harry how to fight. He came charging in and swung at Ron with incredible speed. Right hook. Left jab. Left jab. Right hook. Left hook. Right uppercut. And they all connected.

Ron flew backwards and landed on the ground after Harry's uppercut landed. Blood was streaming from his obviously broken nose and the corner of his mouth. He put his hands up and shook his head as if to say that he couldn't take anymore.

Harry shook his head again and stood over Ron. His hand began to glow with a green energy as he balled it up into a fist and pulled back. He was about to drop the fist down onto Ron's face when a voice screamed out from the doorway.

"HARRY! NO!"

Harry turned his head to see Pansy standing in the doorway. He dropped his fist to his side and left Ron laying there panting for breath. He turned his head to Pansy, and she nodded her head, as if to tell him he was welcome.

"Harry, wait. Please." Ron begged.

Harry stopped walking. He turned back around to face Ron. "Make it fast, Ron. And it had better be good."

Ron pulled himself up to his feet and clutched at his ribs. "I know I fucked up. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions like I did. And I had no right to do what I did, either. I apologize to you and hope that you can forgive me." Harry looked at Pansy, waiting for some semblance of an apology towards her. "And I swear, on my magic, not to insult Pansy again." He held his hand out to Harry.

"It's going to take a lot more than that, Ron. But at least you admitted that you had your head up your ass." Harry took Ron's hand in his own. "Come on, let's go get you cleaned up. We have a birthday party to go to."

Pansy looked at Harry. "What birthday party?"

"What? You didn't think you were the only one with a birthday today, did you?" He asked.

"You mean…" Pansy started.

Harry smiled and opened his mouth to speak, but a loud _crack_ stopped him from speaking.

Harry and Ron turned to look to see who had just arrived. When they saw who it was, both young men began to fill with contempt, because the man standing on the other side of the fence had taken away the most powerful wizard of all time from their world. He looked like he had been to hell and back. But they didn't care. They just stood there staring…

Staring at Severus Snape.

**A/N: I know it's a bit of a turn around for Ron in one chapter. But you know how it is when you lose your temper. You just need a little time to cool down. In the next chapter, the story of Severus Snape and his journey since he killed Dumbledore.**


	10. The Things Snape Knows Pt 1

**Chapter 10**

The Things That Snape Knows

Five minutes had passed since Ron and Harry noticed Snape standing at the fence. Not a word had been said.

Finally, Pansy walked up to her Head of House. "Professor Snape."

"Ms. Parkinson. Interesting finding you here." Snape replied, never taking his eyes off of the two men.

"Snape, you are lucky I know the truth about you, otherwise you would be in a world of pain right now for what you did." Harry said coldly.

Snape tilted his head to the side. "How do you know about that?"

"Don't worry about that right now. What I want to know is why you are here at the Burrow."

"I came to warn you, Potter."

"About what?" Harry asked skeptically.

"I think we should go inside. It's a long story. A story that should be told from the beginning."

Harry turned to look at Ron, who nodded his approval. They both turned and went into the house. Pansy was just about to cross the threshold when Snape placed his hand on her shoulder.

"I want to let you know something, Ms. Parkinson. I know what was supposed to happen to you this morning. I am pleased that the Dark Lord's plan was not allowed to succeed."

Pansy grabbed Snape's hand and removed it from her shoulder. "That's nice, Professor. Now _I_ want to let _you_ know something. If you ever touch me again, I will make sure that your hand never touches anything else. Is that understood?" She then went into the house.

"Perfectly." Snape answered to no one, before heading into the house.

"Alright, Snape. Let's hear it." Harry said sitting down in a plush armchair in the sitting room.

"As you know, I was spying for Professor Dumbledore for quite some time. What you don't know, is that my role of spy came as a result of the death of your parents. Your mother was my best and only friend growing up. She treated me as an equal, instead of as an outcast. I made many decisions in my life, many of which I regret. None more so than when I lost the friendship of your mother by calling her a…well I'm pretty sure you know what I called her.

When I found out that the Dark Lord was targeting your family, I begged him to spare your mother and you. He thought I fancied her, but that was never the case. I did love your mother, but as a sister. He claimed that what he was doing was for the good of his cause, and that I would find someone else. So I went to the only person I could think of to protect your family. Albus Dumbledore."

"Snape, could you please hurry things up? We have important things to do." Ron said as he finally got his nose to stop bleeding.

"Yes. When our attempt to hide you and your parents failed, Potter, I swore on my magic that I would do everything in my power to protect you. I know what you are thinking. Why would I do that? Lily was the closest thing to a sibling I ever had. My Muggle father was an abusive alcoholic and my mother died when I was six. So any biological siblings were out of the question. Anyway, back to the tale. When the Dark Lord returned to a physical body and my Mark began to burn again, we knew what would happen. I would spy and pass along false information to the Dark Lord and give the Order all of the things going on in the Dark Lord's inner circle. I also figured that there was only one way for him to have achieved a physical form again."

Harry looked Snape in the eye. "You know about the Horcruxes, don't you?"

Snape nodded. "And I know what they are. Or at least, what they were."

"Wait. What do you mean, were?"

"Would someone mind telling me what you are talking about?" Pansy asked.

Harry had forgotten that Pansy was in the room. "Shit."

"Harry, what are you two talking about ?" Pansy asked again.

"What I am about to tell you does not leave this room, Pansy. Understood?" She nodded. "Horcruxes are a type of Dark magic where someone splits their soul and hides it an object. They are a way of making yourself immortal. When the physical body of the creator is destroyed, one of the Horcruxes releases the soul fragment and it can be used to create a new physical body. Tom Riddle, better known as Lord Voldemort, created several of them. Seven to be exact."

"What needs to be done to create a…Horcrux?" Pansy asked.

"It requires the most despicable act a person can do. Murder. Murder is required to split the soul."

Pansy turned to Snape. "Professor, you said that you knew what they were. Does that mean that you have destroyed them?"

Snape hesitated. "Yes and no. Professor Dumbledore and I came to a conclusion shortly before his…death. I told him about my theory on the Horcruxes, and he concurred. He then revealed to me that he had one intact in his possession, as well as one that had been already destroyed. He revealed to me the ring of Salazar Slytherin. He then took the Sword of Gryffindor and stabbed it. Dumbledore destroyed the Horcrux, however a powerful curse had been placed on the ring, one of an ancient nature, more than likely placed by Slytherin himself."

Harry nodded his head in understanding. "That's what he meant when he said that he was already going to die." Snape nodded. "Then that means that you must have contained it somehow. His hand. That's why it was like that. You contained the curse in his hand."

Snape nodded again. "The curse was meant to kill whomever destroyed the ring. Imagine a Killing Curse. Depending on the one casting it, it can be quite powerful. Now imagine a self-contained Killing Curse that has had centuries to increase in strength. Salazar Slytherin was one of the most powerful wizards of his time. It took a lot of spell work to contain that curse, but it was only delaying the inevitable. Eventually, the curse would have broken through my barriers and overcome the Headmaster. Even if I had not killed him myself, the Headmaster would still be dead right now."

"You mentioned a theory on the Horcruxes." Ron stated.

"My theory was that some of the Horcruxes have already been used. That is the only way that he could have gained a corporeal form. And I was right. I found one of them that had been released and I destroyed a second."

"What were they?" Harry asked out of curiosity.

"Well, you know about the ring and the diary. The diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw and the bone that was used in the ritual in the graveyard are the others. The other three, I do not know."

"I think I know of one. But before I know for sure, I have a question. Would a soul fragment inside of an object look a black swirl that is constantly in motion?" Harry asked.

"I suppose it is possible." Snape answered.

Pansy gasped. "My father's cup. You think my father's cup is one of the Horcruxes, don't you, Harry?"

Harry nodded.

"Where is this cup?" Snape asked.

"It's in my father's private vault at Gringott's. There is no way of getting to it, I'm afraid." Pansy said sadly.

"Professor Snape, there is something I would like to ask you, if you don't mind me changing the subject for a moment. If anti-Apperation wards are set up so only certain people can ger through, how is it possible for someone that is not supposed to be able to get through, to get through?" Harry asked.

"Are you referring to Ms. Parkinson's escape from the House of Riddle?" Snape asked.

"How do you kno…" Harry began.

"I'll explain that in a moment. To answer your question, Potter, there should have been no way for you to have been able to Apperate into the House of Riddle without the Dark Mark. The only way to get through without the Mark would be if…" Snape trailed off. "Of course. It all makes sense and explains everything."

"Explains what?" Harry asked.

"How could I have not seen it before?"

"Seen what before?"

"I was blind to not have noticed it."

"SNAPE! What the hell are you talking about?"

"Potter, the only way to cross into the wards of the House of Riddle without the Dark Mark is if you are with the Dark Lord. You obviously were not when you rescued Ms. Parkinson here. So there is only one way for that to have happened."

"Which is?" Harry asked impatiently.

"Potter, you are a Horcrux."

**A/N: I decided to not make the Snape/Lily love thing a romantic love but instead opted to go with a brother/sister love because it not something you see very often. The next chapter will feature many things: why Snape suddenly emerged at the Burrow after all of this time, Why Aberforth Dumbledore became a Death Eater, and of course, Harry's Birthday Party. Be advised: in a future chapter I will be asking for your input via my Twitter page. The link can be found on my profile. Make sure you keep reading. As always, the best has yet to come.-FlyorFight**

**Additional A/N: Special thanks goes out to XDracoMalfoysGirlX, Muffin'sback, and Le Diablo Blanc2 for your reviews. I really do enjoy reading what you think about the story so far. Please review. I will always give out recognition to those of you that do so.**


	11. The Things Snape Knows Pt 2

**Chapter 11**

**The Things Snape Knows Pt. 2**

"He's what?" Pansy and Ron yelled at the same time.

"He's a Horcrux. It explains everything. How he is able to speak Parseltongue. How he is able to see into the Dark Lord's mind. And it absolutely explains how he was able to get through the wards at the House of Riddle when there is no possible way for him to have been able to." Snape said in a calm voice.

"Harry, you can see into his mind?" Pansy asked.

Harry nodded. "Only when he is experiencing a strong emotion, though. And lately, there hasn't been anything until yesterday."

"You seem to be taking this news quite well. Are you not surprised to find out that you have a piece of the Dark Lord's soul in your body?" Snape asked Harry.

"Actually, I'm not. You're absolutely right, Snape. It does explain everything." Harry responded in a quiet voice. He got out of his chair and walked over to the window and stared out. "Please, give me just a moment." Nobody moved or said anything. All eyes were on Harry. After several long minutes, he turned around and sat back down in the chair he had been previously occupying. "Now, I know that the Horcruxes were not what you came here to warn me about. So, tell me Snape, what is this warning you have for me?"

Snape sat down on the sofa, favoring his right side. "For some time now, the Dark Lord has been residing in the ancestral home of the Dumbledore family. He has had access to it, because the owner is Aberforth Dumbledore, the Headmaster's brother. He had been approached by Wormtail on behalf of the Dark Lord shortly after he had regained his corporeal form. He promised him a great amount of power if he would join him as a Death Eater. All he would need to do was swear his life over to the Dark Lord. That and assist him with a complex potion that would give him a considerable power increase which would allow him to destroy you. The potion itself is quite complex and requires several ingredients that are not part of a normal potion."

"What type of ingredients?" Ron asked.

"Some of them are standard ingredients. Eye of newt. Grindylow horn. Manticore venom. Then the ingredients get darker. The blood of a freshly killed werewolf in human form. The blood of a witch that has just become of age. The feathers of an angry veela. As far as I can tell, he is trying to create the Morgan's Bane potion."

"That's what I was being held for? For this Morgan's Bane potion? What does it even do?" Pansy asked very quickly.

"It doubles the power of the drinker's magical core. It is a very difficult potion to create because of the circumstances needed to obtain the ingredients. It is so difficult to brew, only two people have been known to succeed."

"Who created it, sir?" Harry asked.

"Gellert Grindelwald and Morgan le Fay."

"The Grindelwald that Professor Dumbledore defeated in 1945?" Ron asked.

"They are one in the same. Grindelwald became as powerful as he did when he brewed the potion in 1935. The Headmaster was able to defeat him because he had a stronger magical core then Grindelwald, even after drinking Morgan's Bane."

"Wasn't Morgan le Fay the sister of King Arthur?" Harry asked.

"Yes, she was. Tell me what you know of Morgan's part in the Arthurian legend, Potter."

"She was the sorceress that brought Arthur to the gates of Avalon shortly before his death. She was taking him there to heal him after he was gravely injured at the Battle of Camlann by Mordred, his son by Morgan. Sorry, that's all I can really remember."

"No, that's good Potter. You are right, for the most part. Morgan and Arthur were pure-bloods. Morgan was a powerful sorceress, while Arthur was a Squib. Morgan created the potion and drank it herself. However, the effects were not what she had expected them to be. She was present at the Battle of Camlann, and it was actually her that caused the injuries that would prove fatal to her brother. Upon finding that she had injured her brother, she took him to the gates of Avalon to seek aid from the Lady of the Lake. However, before she was able to receive aid, Arthur died. It was then said that after Arthur died, Morgan returned to Camelot, where she burned the only known physical copy of the spell and then swallowed the ashes. From there, nobody knows what happened to Morgan. She simply faded away."

"Bloody hell." Ron said. "That's why Lupin was killed."

Harry turned to his best friend. "How do you know about Lupin?"

"Tonks came by last night with your cousin. They told us everything that happened. I'm so sorry, Harry. He would have been a great father to you, mate."

"Thanks, Ron. Back to the matter at hand. Snape, please continue."

Snape bowed his head to Harry in thanks. "About three days after I killed Dumbledore, Draco Malfoy and I were summoned into the Dark Lord's private chambers. He said that we had achieved something that not even he had been able to do. He was proud to have us amongst his ranks. But since only one of us had killed Dumbledore, only one of us deserved to live. He then cast the Killing Curse at Mr. Malfoy. It was at this moment that I realized that he knew that I had betrayed him. I quickly Apperated out of the residence and have been on the run ever since."

"Where were you hiding?" Pansy asked.

"Order of the Phoenix hideouts. One at Stonehenge, one in America, and you wouldn't believe me if I told you where the third one was." Snape said wearily.

"Try us, Professor." Pansy said, crossing her arms.

Snape sighed heavily. "If you feel you must know, I was hiding in Camelot."

"Camelot? Nobody knows for sure where Camelot is." Harry said, incredulously.

"That is because when it was found, it was renamed."

Nobody said anything for about thirty seconds. Then Ron broke the silence. "Hogwarts. Hogwarts is Camelot."

"Very good, Weasley. And people say you are as smart as a gargoyle." Snape sneered.

Ron was about to go after Snape, when the front door opened. Arthur Weasley walked in, and he was not alone. He was accompanied by Kingsley Shacklebolt, Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody, and Nymphadora Tonks,. When they all saw the convergence of people in the front room, and who all was there, four wands were suddenly pulled out and aimed at Snape.

"You dare show your face around here, Severus Snape? After what you did? Who do you think you are?" Tonks yelled, her hair taking on a fire-like quality.

"Tonks, calm down. Snape came here to warn me." Harry said, rising from his chair.

"Warn you about what? You can't believe anything this treacherous snake has to say. How can you just forgive him for what he has done?" Tonks asked incredulously.

"I understand why he did what he did, but that doesn't mean that I forgive him for it. It would take a lot for me to be able to do that." Harry said, his gaze resting upon Snape. "Please, all of you, lower your wands. You will want to hear what Snape has to say."

The four wands slowly lowered, but were never put away. Snape recounted his tale, but left out any mention of the Horcruxes. He had just finished telling about the Morgan's Bane potion when Hermione and Percy walked into the room.

"Professor Snape, is it possible for You-Know-Who to still make this potion?" Hermione asked, hearing the whole tale from the kitchen.

"No. The blood taken from Remus Lupin's body needed to have been used within 24 hours. Since it has been longer since it was collected, it has since become contaminated, and therefore unusable in the Morgan's Bane potion." Snape responded. "If it is possible, I would like to get some rest. I have been on the run for the last four weeks, and have had little time to rest, other than during my stay at Camelot."

"You can stay in the drawing room on the fourth floor. Ron will show you the way." Arthur said.

Snape bowed his head to everyone and gingerly began ascending the staircase, Ron not far behind him.

"Did he say he has been staying in Camelot?" Kingsley inquired. "I thought nobody knew where Camelot was located."

"Camelot is the true name of Hogwarts. It was originally the castle of King Arthur and his Knights." Arthur said, absent mindedly.

"How do you know this, Arthur?" Mad-Eye asked.

Arthur sighed. "The Weasley family is directly descended from Morgan le Fay. Other than Mordred, she had another son named Airon. He lived among the sorceresses of Avalon. Where Mordred was a Squib, Airon was not. He was trained in the arts of magic by the Lady of the Lake herself. When Morgan disappeared, he went searching for her. To return her to Avalon. As you might imagine, he failed at his task. He built himself a home in the area that would eventually become Ottery St. Catchpole. This very home. The reason I know about the true existence of Camelot, is because technically, the Weasley family owns it."

"Then that would make you…" Pansy started.

"Royalty. Aye." Arthur said. "It is not something that the other Weasley's know. Bill will find out in a couple of days at the wedding. Now, don't be mistaken. Just because you are royalty, it doesn't mean you are wealthy. We may own Hogwarts, but we don't have any investments into it. Besides, we are pretty content with the way our lives are. Now, if I am remembering the calendar correctly, we have a birthday party to be getting to, don't we, Harry?"

Harry nodded. He turned away from everyone around him. _The Weasley's are royalty. How is something like this not known to the public?_

Mrs. Weasley then entered the room. "Alright, everyone. Go get washed up and changed. Dinner is almost ready, which means that the party is about ready to start."

XxXxXxX

Everyone except for Pansy and Harry had left the room to go get cleaned up for dinner.

"Harry, I don't think it would be right for me to go to your party. We don't know each other that well and I don't have anything to wear and nobody in this house likes me or knows who I really am and…" Pansy was cut off from her babbling when Harry pressed his lips against hers.

It was a soft tender kiss. Not forceful or demanding. But it was enough to make Pansy wrap her arms around Harry's neck. After a minute, Harry broke the kiss and rested his forehead against hers.

"First of all, I have been wanting to do that all afternoon. Secondly, I don't care if we don't know each other that well. It's your birthday also. You deserve a party. Thirdly, don't worry about everyone else. Who cares what they think. Just stay close to me, and everything will be fine. And lastly, in regards to you not having anything to wear, I made a stop in Diagon Alley and picked up some clothes for you. I didn't know your size, so I got a little bit of everything in different ones. Consider it my birthday present to you." Harry smiled.

"But I didn't get you anything." Pansy said sadly.

"Yes, you did. You let me get to know the real you. It's something I never expected. And to be quite honest…" He moved to whisper in her ear. "It's the best birthday present I've ever gotten."

Pansy began to blush. "Do you want me to be there? Really?"

"Yes. I do." Harry said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Then I'll be there. I better go get ready. But first…" Pansy kissed Harry again. When she finally realized that she needed to breathe, she pulled away. "Happy Birthday, Harry." She then turned and went up the stairs to go get ready for the party.

Harry was watching her walk up the stairs, a large smile on his face. All of a sudden the front door slammed shut. Harry turned to see who had closed he door with such force. When he saw who it was, the smile on his face vanished.

"What the fuck was that?" Asked a very pissed off Ginny Weasley.

XxXxXxX

"Pansy, can I talk to you for a second?" Ron asked on the stairway. Pansy gave him a glare. "I swear I'll behave."

"What do you want, Weasley?" Pansy asked, crossing her arms.

"I just want to know what is going on with you and Harry. I mean, a month ago, he wouldn't give you the time of day. Today, he bashes my face in to protect you. So what is going on?" Ron asked.

"I don't know. He rescued me this morning from being murdered. Then we walked and talked, and we opened up to each other. I showed him the real me, not the version I show everyone at school."

"So, what you are saying is the whole "Cruel Bitch" thing is all a ruse?" Pansy nodded. "How do you feel about him?"

"I've loved Harry since before the Sorting ceremony first year."

Ron nodded his head. "That explains why my brothers turned you into a stag fifth year." Ron walked down a couple of steps to be eye level with Pansy. "I'm only going to say this one time, alright, Parkinson? When it comes to love, Harry is not the most experienced guy out there. So please, don't hurt him. I don't think he could take it."

"Ron, I've waited a long time to be with Harry. This may finally be my chance. I don't plan on doing anything to screw that up."

Ron nodded and continued on his way downstairs. He had just reached the landing of the bottom flight when he heard the words, "Who the fuck was she?" coming from his baby sister. Ron shook his head and thought to himself, _That guy just can't catch a break, can he?_, as he continued down the stairs to go play peacekeeper.

XxXxXxX

"I'll ask you one more time, Harry. What the fuck was that?" Ginny yelled, her hands on her hips.

"What are you talking about, Ginny?" Harry asked, playing dumb.

"Well, let's see. I walk in the house and I see my ex-boyfriend kissing another woman. My ex-boyfriend that broke up with me because he wanted to protect me. So, once again, Harry: what the FUCK was that?"

"Well, Ginny, you seem to know what it was. I kissed someone else."

Ginny was about to yell some sort of response when there was a knock at the door. Ginny spun around and opened it to reveal Dean Thomas.

"Ginny, I forgot to thank you for coming over today. I'm really glad we were able to work things out and get back together. I guess I'll…Oh, Harry. Hi. I didn't see you there. I was just saying goodnight to Ginny." Dean stammered.

"No, no. Dean, why don't you come in for just a moment. I would love to get your opinion on something." Harry said, glaring at Ginny.

"Umm…okay. What's your question?" Dean asked.

"Well, Ginny here was just saying that it is wrong for a guy to kiss another woman without letting her know about it. But do you not find it a little hypocritical for a woman to make judgment on a situation, when she herself has gone out of her way to get back together with a former boyfriend? What are your thoughts, Dean?" Harry asked.

"Umm…I…umm…I think it's best if I don't get involved in this. Good night, Ginny. Harry." Dean said as he ran away from the house.

Ginny closed the door and turned back towards Harry. Her face was almost as red as her hair. "That was completely uncalled for, Harry. You should not have put Dean on the spot like that. What the fuck was that about?"

"Uncalled for? You walk in here and start trying to make me feel guilty for something that I don't even regret, by the way, when you yourself have moved on." Harry said.

"This is not about me, Harry. Who was she?"

"Why does it matter, Ginny? I've moved on. You've moved on. Why do you care so much who it was?" Harry asked.

"Because I want to know. Who the fuck was she?" Ginny asked again.

"You want to know? You really want to know? Fine. Pansy Parkinson." Harry said.

"Pansy Parkinson? You're joking right?" Harry shook his head. "I'm gonna kill her!"

Ginny began to charge up the stairs when she was blocked off by Ron. She tried to push past him, but it was to no avail. Ron held his ground on the bottom step. Ginny, figuring it was pointless to try and get past her brother, turned and charged at Harry instead. She was just about to throw a punch, when Ron wrapped his arms around his sister and lifted her off of the floor.

Ginny was kicking her legs and elbowing Ron in attempts to get him to put her back down, but Ron's grip was too strong. Knowing he would not release her until she calmed down, which she had no interest in doing, she did the only thing she could do. She bit down directly into Ron's forearm. Ron instinctively dropped Ginny and clutched at his arm. This gave Ginny enough time to run back up at Harry.

She ran full force and jumped through the air, her momentum knocking Harry off of his feet. Ginny then mounted Harry and balled her right hand into a fist. She pulled her arm back and was just about to swing when all of sudden a cry of _Stupefy_ came from behind her. The red jet of light hit Ginny directly between the shoulder blades and she slumped over onto Harry.

Harry heard footsteps approaching but he was unable to see who coming towards him, due to the curtain of red hair covering his face. He then felt the weight of Ginny's body being pushed off of him. When he able to see who it was that had helped him, a smile once again crossed his face.

"It seems like we just end up saving each other, doesn't it, Potter?" A smiling Pansy Parkinson said.

"That it does." Harry laughed as he got up.

"You better get changed, mister. We have a party to get to." Pansy said. "I'll wait for you here."

Harry nodded and watched as Pansy and Ron picked Ginny up off of the floor and laid her down on the sofa. Harry then went upstairs to get cleaned up and changed.

_This has been the most interesting birthday I've ever had. Rescued damsel from death. Found out that she is not what she seems to be. Found out that she has been in love with me for years. Got in a fight with my best mate. Kissed beautiful damsel three times in one day. Nearly got beaten up by ex-girlfriend. I wonder how the party is going to go?_

XxXxXxX

Ten minutes later, Harry was standing in the mirror trying to fix his hair. For some reason, it would not seem to just be straight. Harry ran his fingers through his long hair. He didn't understand it. He had just gotten out of the shower and his hair was soaked, but it refused to go flat. Harry shook his head.

_Today is the start of my magical adult life, and my hair won't even do what I want it to do. Maybe it's time for a change._

Harry pulled out his wand and thought of an image. He then placed the tip of his wand to his head and said, "_Spargo._" Harry watched as his hair began to shorten. Within a minute, his hair had shortened by three inches. He pushed the hair that had fallen on top of the counter into a pile. He then pointed his wand at the pile and muttered, "_Evanesco_." The pile disappeared, and a smile crossed Harry's face.

_Now that that's taken care of, time to get dressed. After all, it is pary time. _

XxXxXxX

Pansy was staring at herself in a mirror, waiting for Harry to return. She couldn't help but admire the dress that he had picked out for her. It was a simple, blue dress that fell down to her knees, but it seemed to shimmer every time she moved. She also couldn't help but notice how well it fit to her body. Even though Harry had not known what her size was, he somehow had managed to pick out a dress that not only hugged her curves perfectly, but also happened to be her favorite color.

Pansy remembered the last time she had worn a dress in public. It has been at the Yule Ball. It had been a light blue dress with speckles of gold. She had been wanting to ask Harry to go to the Ball with her, but knew in her heart he would never say yes. So she had secretly used a Bedazzlement Charm on the gold specks to subtly to flash to crimson, in honor of her favorite Gryffindor.

Pansy was pulled from her musings when she heard footsteps on the stairway. She turned and could not believe this was the same Harry Potter she had been kissing twenty minutes earlier. His hair was noticeably shorter and instead of the baggy clothes that he had been wearing most of the day, he was now wearing a dark blue button-down shirt, black dress slacks, and a pair of black dress shoes, all of which were also noticeably brand new.

Harry stopped on the bottom step. He had not taken a look at what she was wearing earlier when she had hit Ginny with the Stunner, but he now wished that he had. He couldn't help but stare at her.

"What?" Pansy asked.

"What, what?" Harry asked back.

"Why are you staring at me like that?"

"Sorry. You just look so…beautiful." Harry said honestly, walking up to her.

"It's the dress that makes me look that way." She said meekly.

"No. You make the dress beautiful."

Pansy blushed.

Harry held out his for Pansy to take. "Shall we?"

Pansy placed her hand in Harry's hand. She went to rest her hand in his, but Harry shook his head at her. He then took her hand in his, lacing their fingers together. Both were surprised, in a good way, by the energy and chemistry that had developed between them in only one day.

Together, they walked outside, where Harry was met by several Happy Birthday greetings. Harry was pleased to see many familiar faces: Mad-Eye, Kingsley, Tonks, and even Dudley was there. Hagrid was off to the side speaking with Charlie Weasley. Bill and Fleur were talking with Bill's parents and another couple that Harry assumed were Fleur's parents.

Harry and Pansy walked around the party and Harry introduced her to all of the people that she had not met. She enjoyed meeting Tonks and was amazed when she found out that she was a Metamorphmagus. Tonks went through different facial variations that brought laughs to anyone watching. Harry thought it was great to see her in high spirits considering what had happened the day before.

The pair made their way over to Hagrid.

"'ello, Harry. 'Appy Birthday. Is tha' Pansy Parkinson?" Hagrid said happily.

"Hey, Hagrid. Yeah, Pansy is my guest at this party. It's her birthday, too."

"Well, then, 'Appy Birthday, Pansy." Hadrid said cheerfully. "'fraid I don' 'ave a presen' fer ya."

"Thank you, sir. It's alright. I'm not expecting to get anything today." Pansy said.

"Well, 'arry, here's yer presen'. Hope ya enjoy it. I'm goin' ter go say 'ello to Bill." Hagrid said, handing a small box to Harry and then walking off.

Harry opened the box and smiled. Inside the box was a note and two Golden Snitches. He unfolded the note and read aloud so Pansy could hear:

_Harry, these are the first two Golden Snitches that you ever caught at Hogwarts. I know it might seem strange, but I held onto them for you for sentimental value. They don't do much, but it's something I thought you would enjoy. Your Friend, Hagrid (written by Minerva McGonagall)_

"That was nice of him." Pansy said.

"Hagrid always gives great gifts." Harry responded, putting the note back into the box.

"Alright, everybody, dinner is ready. And afterwards, we'll do cake and presents." Mrs. Weasley called out.

Pansy and Harry made their way to the long table everyone was gathering around. Dinner looked delicious. It consisted of Shepherd's Pie, roasted potatoes, and glazed carrots. By the time Harry had finished his second helping, there was not a scrap of the meal left.

Mrs. Weasley stood at the end of the table and brought all eyes toward her. "So now, it is time for the cake. But first, I would like to thank Hermione and Percy for all of their help today. I would like to also welcome Pansy to the Burrow. You are welcome to stay as long as you would like. And now, bring on the cake."

Their was applause as she levitated the giant cake outside. The cake was tilted at an angle so everyone could see it. As usual, it was in the shape of a Golden Snitch. Their were candles on top whose flames were changing colors from red to silver to gold to green. The icing on the cake was half gold and half silver. On the side that contained the gold icing, a message read, "_HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HARRY_" in red icing. On the side that was silver, a message read, "_HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PANSY_", in green icing.

"Harry, did you have something to do with this?" Pansy whispered to him.

"I told you before, it's your birthday, and you deserve a party. I still have one more surprise for you tonight, by the way." Harry whispered back.

"What do you mea…" Pansy began.

"Shh. Just close your eyes, make a wish, and blow out the candles." Harry said, taking Pansy's hand in his.

They both closed their eyes to make their wishes. Harry opened his eyes, only to find Pansy staring at him. They exchanged smiles and turned towards the cake. They blew them out at the same time. Applause filled the night.

"Everyone, thank you so much for being here tonight. I…We really appreciate it. If you don't mind, I have a gift I would like to give Pansy in private. I'll open my presents later." Harry announced before leading Pansy away from the group.

Arthur Weasley was sitting next to his wife watching the pair walk away. "They make a good couple, don't you think, Molly?"

"I do, sweetheart. If this war ends the way we are all hoping it will, I can see them lasting a long time."

XxXxXxX

Harry and Pansy walked hand in hand in silence. They stopped walking when they arrived under a crab apple tree. Harry sat down on the ground and leaned against the tree. Pansy sat down next to Harry and leaned against him. She sighed contently when he wrapped his arms around her.

"Harry, you didn't have to that with the cake."

"I know I didn't have to do it. I wanted you to be included in the party. You only come of age once. I wanted it to be something you would always remember."

"Harry, this was going to be the best birthday I ever had no matter what happened."

"Why is that, Pansy?" Harry asked.

"Because…I'm with you." Pansy said softly.

Harry gently squeezed Pansy to him. Yesterday, if he had been told that he would fall for Pansy Parkinson, he would have thought it was some cruel joke. Now, he was wondering why he hadn't taken the time to get to know her before.

"Would you like to know what your real birthday present is, Pansy?" Harry whispered.

She turned her head to face him and nodded. He helped her stand up, then went behind the tree and picked up what looked to Pansy like a small box.

"I remembered you said that you had wanted to ask me to the Yule Ball. Well, I thought on it a little bit, and I thought I would grant that little wish for you. This is called a boom box. Muggles use it to play music. So, my question for you Ms. Parkinson is, may I have this dance?" Harry asked, holding out his hand.

Pansy smiled and took Harry's hand. He pushed a button on the boom box and the music began to play. They began to dance and Harry explained to Pansy that the song was called "Save the Best For Last" by a Muggle American singer named Vanessa Williams. Harry held Pansy close as they danced slowly.

Harry and Pansy continued to dance long after the music stopped. They didn't care that there was no music. They were just enjoying the company of each other.

Eventually, they both began to tire, so they resumed their places under the crab apple tree. Before they drifted off to sleep, Harry leaned down and whispered three words into her ear.

"Happy Birthday, Pansy."

They fell asleep against the tree, and did not wake up until the sun began to creep over the horizon. When Harry awoke, he smiled as he remembered the long dance they had shared the night before. He looked down at the sleeping form of the young woman beside him and his smile grew larger.

_Definitely the best birthday present ever._

_XxXxXxX_

**A/N: OK. So it took 11 chapters to get through the first two days of the story. I do apologize for that. From here, things are going to be picking up. You may have noticed that this chapter is much longer than previous ones. This is going to continue. A lot is going to be happening. We still have the wedding, the search for the Horcruxes, and of course the final showdown. Not to mention of course more Harry/Pansy romance. Stay tuned. The best has yet to come.-FlyorFight**


	12. In WILLS, LIES Hidden SECRETS Pt 1

**Chapter 12**

"**In WILLS, LIES Hidden SECRETS" Pt. 1**

Over the course of the next week, the Burrow was one of the busiest places in England. The wedding of Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour was one of the most talked about events in the magical community. People were constantly coming and going bringing different things that would be used for the ceremony and reception: chairs, tables, fine china, and other knickknacks that would be needed.

And Molly Weasley was running around like a chicken with its head cut off.

"No, no, no, dear. I think the sculpture needs to be behind the alter." She was saying to her husband.

"Molly, I swear to Merlin, if you have me move this damn thing one more time, I'm going to scream." Arthur said. He had already moved the sculpture of Merlin three times.

"Arthur, everything has to be perfect. It's not everyday that your oldest son gets married. Now, move the bloody sculpture, already."

"Yes, dear." Arthur said with a smile.

XxXxXxX

Pansy was surprised by the reception by the occupants of the burrow. Everyone in the household had been very welcoming of her, except for Ginny. After she had regained consciousness, Ginny had packed a bag and gone over to Dean's house. She had sent a Howler to Harry and Pansy saying that she could not believe that he would choose Pansy over her. She then went on to say that Pansy was a home wrecker and that she would pay for "stealing her man". As a side note, she concluded the message by saying that she hoped Harry would come to his senses by the wedding and she would keep her dance card open exclusively for him.

Pansy had proven herself to be a much different person that Hermione and Ron had thought her to be. She would sit down and have hour-long discussions with them about different things. She would go into detail about why she always acted the way she did. She had even admitted to Hermione that she was jealous of how smart she was, wishing that she had the discipline to get her schoolwork done without putting it off to the last minute. Pansy told Ron that she understood why he had reacted the way he did that day when she arrived and that she didn't take it personally. She also released him from his oath of never saying a bad thing about or against her again, as long as he promised to give her the benefit of the doubt before jumping to conclusions. He happily agreed.

Molly and Arthur had also been impressed by Pansy. She would get up early in the morning and help Molly prepare breakfast for the household. She would assist Arthur in carrying new Muggle items out to his workshop. He had shown her his favorites, and was ecstatic when Pansy explained her thoughts on the concept of rubber ducks and chickens to him.

Harry was beginning to wonder why it took Pansy so long to tell him her feelings. When they were not helping around the house, they were walking around the grounds talking and getting to know each other better. Pansy would often tell stories of her and her neighbor, Breena, getting into trouble when they were younger. Harry would talk about the mistreatment of the Dursley's, many of his stories ending with Pansy crying for him. The night after the birthday party, Harry told Pansy about Sirius and Remus. He told her about the letter that had been in Remus's hand saying that he was supposed to have been adopted by either Sirius or Remus. Pansy had cried for nearly two hours after hearing this news. She had always known that Harry was lonely, but now that he was truly alone, she began to love him even more. Every night, they would sit under the crab apple tree and watch the sunset, not saying a word.

The four of them were currently in the middle of discussing whether or not Harry, Ron, and Hermione would go back to Hogwarts.

"If you do go back, then it would be harder for You-Know-Who to get to you, Harry." Pansy was saying.

"Don't think I haven't thought of that already. But if we go back, we will have to balance out searching for the Horcruxes along with schoolwork." Harry replied. "There is nothing I would love to do more than return to Hogwarts. It's the only real home I have ever had."

"You know, Harry, it might not be such a bad idea. I mean, sure, it will be hard to look for the Horcruxes and school work at the same time, but if we let McGonagall know what is going on, I'm sure she will allow a little bit of leniency." Ron said.

"And we could get some additional support from the other professors without letting them know what exactly is going on. Percy already said that he would be more than happy to help and that he wouldn't go enquiring about any details." Hermione added.

"I just don't know yet. Let's wait until after the wedding to make a final decision." Harry said.

A moment passed before Ron broke the silence. "Hermione, can I talk to you in private for a moment?"

Hermione nodded and the two of them left Harry and Pansy alone.

"Harry, why are you so hesitant to go back to Hogwarts?" Pansy asked, placing her hand on Harry's arm.

"I feel that it would only hinder everything. If we were to go back to school and try and balance everything out, imagine all of the time we would be losing by not being out there. We know of three Horcruxes for sure. Your fathers cup, R.A.B.'s locket, and me. What if Voldemort created more than just the seven? What if I was an accidental Horcrux and there is still one more out there. I'm just not sure if that is a risk I am willing to take." Harry responded.

"Even if there were more, would it not be better to have access to the library at Hogwarts then to be roaming around aimlessly in the middle of nowhere without a clue?" Harry shook his head. Pansy tightened her hold oh his arm and spun him around so that he would be facing her. "You listen to me, Harry Potter, and you listen good. This whole thing is not about you. Yes, you may ultimately be the one that takes him down for good, but right now you are not alone. Ron and Hermione are willing to abandon everything to help. And I know for a fact that Ron is willing to put his life on the line in order for you to defeat him. And what about me, Harry? I finally have gotten you to see me for who I really am. Are you willing to throw me to the side so easily?" Tears were streaming down her face.

Harry pulled her in close to him and held her tightly. "I'm not letting you go anywhere. I just found you. I'm not going to do anything to risk losing you." He kissed her softly on the forehead. "I know I'm not alone. I know what Ron and Hermione are willing to do. I've taken that thought into consideration. There's nothing I could do to make them change their minds. Let me ask you something and be honest. If you were in my position, what would you do?"

Pansy sniffled. "I don't know, Harry. On one hand, you can go out and track down the Horcruxes, but not have any knowledge of the outside world at your disposal. On the other hand, if you return to school, you have the teachers, the library, and all sorts of other tools at your disposal. I think returning is the best option, if only so I can be close to you."

"Pans, I wouldn't leave you alone at Hogwarts. I would want you with me, so I know you are safe." Harry said softly.

Pansy lifted her head from Harry's chest and looked him in the eye. "I love you, Harry James Potter. I'm not expecting you to say it back right now, because that would be very quick for the little amount of time we've been together. I hope one day you will. But I want you to know that I love you. And that you would want me with you to know that I am safe just makes me love you more."

Harry gently brushed his lips against hers. "Pansy, over the last week, we have gotten pretty close to each other. I still find it hard to believe that you have had feelings for me for so long. And my feelings get stronger for you every moment we are together. But there is something I've been meaning to ask you for the last couple of days now."

"What is it, Harry?"

"Where exactly are we? I don't mean physically, where we are. I mean emotionally. Where are we? Are we dating? Are we just spending time together? What are we?"

"Harry, we are whatever you want us to be. I'm in no rush. If you want me to be your girlfriend, I would absolutely love that. If you just want to be friends right now, I'm fine with that, too. It's all up to you." Pansy replied honestly.

"Oh. Up to me, huh?" He released Pansy and turned his back to think for a moment. _This last week has been amazing. I find myself getting closer to Pansy every moment I am with her. But are we moving too fast? For the last six years, we have been enemies, even if she didn't want us to be. Are we friends or are we more than that? What would Sirius or Remus do in this type of situation?_

"Umm…Harry? You've had your back turned to me for the last ten minutes. What are you doing?" Pansy asked.

"Coming to a decision." Harry said turning back around. He walked back up to her and took both of her hands in his. "Pansy Peyton Parkinson, over the last several days, I've told you a lot about myself that only a select few know. And for some strange reason, none of that has scared you away. In return, you have shared a lot about yourself that you have never told anyone else before. And none of it scares me away. I am in uncharted territory here, so I find myself asking myself what would Sirius have done if he were in my position. And the answer is, he would have followed his heart. So that is exactly what I am going to do. And my heart has just one question for you: Pansy Peyton Parkinson, will you be my girlfriend?"

A huge smile broke across her face as she wrapped her arms around him and crushed her lips to his. The kiss lasted what seemed like hours, and when they needed to break for air, they finally parted.

"So, is that a yes?" Harry asked with a smile.

XxXxXxX

"What did you want to talk to me about, Ron?" Hermione asked when they were out of earshot of Harry and Pansy.

"A couple of different things. First thing I want to know is what is going on between you and Percy?" Ron asked.

"Ron, I…I'm not sure what you are talking about."

"'Mione, I've seen you two together. And I've seen how you look at each other across a room. Please, just give me an honest answer. What's going on?" He asked again, fearing that he already knew the answer.

Hermione stopped walking and looked off into the distance. "I don't really know. I'm not going to lie to you, Ron. I've fancied Percy for years. And over the last couple of days, we have been talking and getting closer than I ever thought possible. Why are you asking me this?"

"Well…I always thought…I always thought that you and I would always get together." Ron said quietly.

Hermione turned back around to face Ron. She could tell that he was obviously heartbroken. She could see the beginnings of tears starting to form in his eyes, which he was trying hard to keep from falling. She placed a hand on his cheek. "Oh, Ron. I can only imagine how much this hurts you. I'm so sorry."

Ron placed his hand on hers and slowly removed it from his face. He shook his head and said, "I'm fine. That's what I thought you would say."

Ron began to walk away when Hermione called from behind him, "Wait, Ron. What else was it that you wanted to talk to me about?"

Ron looked at her. The tears that he had been fighting back finally won over and were falling freely down his face. He shook his again and said with a forced smile, "Nothing. It's not important anymore." He resumed walking in the direction of the white tent where his parents were moving a giant statue of Merlin.

Hermione watched as Ron walked away. Tears were now running down her cheeks. She was not crying because she had told Ron that she had feelings for his older brother. No, these tears were tears of heartbreak. She knew that the feelings that Ron had for her were not the same ones that she had for him, but she did love Ron. Not the way he wanted her to, but love nonetheless. As the tears fell, a single thought was racing through her mind.

_I just broke my best friend's heart._

XxXxXxX

Harry and Pansy were setting up the tables and chairs in the reception tent when they heard the sound of several owls hooting. They looked up in the sky and saw five owls flying towards them. The owls circled the tent twice before swooping down and landing on the table directly in front of Harry and Pansy.

A tawny owl landed directly in front of Pansy. In its talon was a letter bearing the official seal of Gringott's Bank. She took the letter and placed a sickle in its pouch before it flew away.

The four remaining owls, one a northern hawk, one a Tengmalm, and two barn owls, sat in front of Harry. Each held letters from Gringott's. On each owls leg was a large coin purse for Harry to place his payment in. Harry removed each letter and placed a sickle in each bag, but none of the owls took off. He glanced at Pansy and she shrugged her shoulders. Harry placed another sickle into the bags, but the owls still did not move.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Harry grunted under his breath. Pansy fought back a laugh.

Harry sighed and took four galleons out of his pocket. He placed one in each bag. Once the fourth coin dropped into the bag, all four owls took off and left Pansy and Harry staring until they disappeared into the afternoon sky.

"Umm…okay." Harry said.

"I guess we should see what these are." Pansy said, carefully breaking the seal of her letter. She quickly read the letter and uttered, "Oh, my goodness."

"Pans, what is it?" Harry asked as she handed the letter over to him.

_Dear Ms. Parkinson,_

_Your presence is requested tomorrow, the sixth of August, for the will reading of Paris William Parkinson. As you are the only beneficiary listed in this will, you are required to arrive promptly by ten in the morning._

_Sincerely,_

_Knife-tooth_

_Keeper of Wills, Gringott's Wizarding Bank_

"Well, that's kinda short notice, don't you think?" Harry said sarcastically.

"You have four letters from Gringott's, Harry, and judging by the amount of money that you had to spend to get them, they must be important. You should see what they say." Pansy said holding the letters out to him.

Harry took the letters and set three of them down and began to open one.

_Dear Mr. Potter,_

_Your presence is requested tomorrow, the sixth of August, for the will reading of Sirius Orion Black. As you are the primary beneficiary listed in this will, you are required to arrive promptly by ten in the morning._

_Sincerely,_

_Knife-tooth_

_Keeper of Wills, Gringott's Wizarding Bank_

Harry couldn't believe it. Sirius had been dead for more than a year, and they were just now getting around to reading his will. What kind of clerical error must have happened there? Harry moved onto the next letter.

_Dear Mr. Potter,_

_Your presence is requested tomorrow, the sixth of August for the will reading of Remus John Lupin. As you are listed as one of the beneficiaries of this will, you are required to arrive promptly by ten in the morning._

_Sincerely,_

_Knife-tooth_

_Keeper of Wills, Gringott's Wizarding Bank_

_First Sirius, now Remus. What's next?_

Harry opened the third letter.

_Dear Mr. Potter,_

_Your presence is requested tomorrow, the sixth of August, for the will reading of Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. As you are listed as one of the beneficiaries of this will, you are required to arrive promptly by ten in the morning. In addition, there are several clauses of documents written by Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore that have been revealed upon his death pertaining to you. These clauses will be revealed to you at the time of the reading of this will._

_Sincerely,_

_Knife-tooth_

_Keeper of Wills, Gringott's Wizarding Bank_

_Three down, one to go. Better get this over with._

Harry opened the final letter.

_Dear Mr. Potter,_

_It has come to our attention that on July 31st__ of this year, you became of age in the Wizarding world. It is my duty to inform you that since you have now reached the age of seventeen, the will of Lily Grace Potter and James Harold Potter has been made available to you. I have personally reviewed this and the other wills, and I have found several items of importance that must be brought to your attention. I humbly request your presence tomorrow morning to read the will of your parents. I am aware that there are other wills that will be read, as well. I will personally preside over the will readings for you. I look forward to meeting with you tomorrow morning._

_Hoping this letter finds you well,_

_Ragnok_

_Gringott's Wizarding Bank, President_

_P.S.: In WILLS, LIES Hidden SECRETS._

Harry reread the last letter two more times before handing it over to Pansy. _Four will readings in one day? Remus, Sirius, Dumbledore, and now my parents? What the hell is going on? Whatever is in the wills of Dumbledore and my parents has some matter of importance. What could be so important that I am just now being told about these clauses and items?_

After reading the letter from Ragnok, Pansy turned to Harry. "So it looks like we're going to Gringott's tomorrow. Maybe it won't be as bad as we thi…" Harry was just staring at the table, not paying attention to her. "Harry?" No response. "Harry?" She touched his arm gently. No response. "HARRY!" The last one was said with a slap on the arm.

"Ow! What was that for?" Harry asked, rubbing his arm where Pansy had just hit him.

"You were totally spacing out. Did you hear a work I said?"

"I'm sorry, Pans. I was just trying to figure out what could be so important in my parents' will that I am just now finding out about it. And these documents of Dumbledore's. What are they about? What does he have to say about me? Was he hiding information from me? I can't seem to wrap my mind around it."

"Harry, everything will be explained tomorrow. If you try to wrap your mind around everything, you are going to start jumping to conclusions. And if you start jumping to conclusions, you are more than likely going to be wrong." Harry was about to respond when Pansy placed a finger on his lips. "Don't say anything. Don't think about it. Just wait until tomorrow. Okay?" She gave him a quick peck on the lips and then went back to working on the tables and chairs.

"I'm never going to win an argument with you, am I?" Harry asked. Pansy shook her head and gave him a wink. "I didn't think so."

XxXxXxX

Dawn the next morning came sooner than Harry would have liked it to. He had been awake all night replaying the conversation he and Pansy had had under the crab apple tree as they watched the sunset.

"Are you still thinking about tomorrow morning?" Pansy had asked.

"I can't help it. My parents have been dead for sixteen years, Pans. And tomorrow, I'm attending their will reading. Information that has been unknown for the last sixteen years is going to be revealed. I'm not scared or anything. Just nervous." He replied, giving her a gentle squeeze.

"Harry, everything is going to be just fine. It's like I told you earlier. Don't try to guess about what could happen. Whatever will be, will be."

That last sentence had been what had kept him up all night. _Whatever will be, will be._ He had been staring at the ceiling in the room that he and Ron shared trying to will himself to be tired, but it was to no avail. He looked at the alarm clock on his bedside table and found it to be 6 o'clock. He turned to look out the window and was not surprised to see the sun was just beginning to come up over the horizon. For some reason, Harry had the feeling that today was going to not only be long, but full of surprises. He rose out of his bed and began to get dressed in his finest clothes. Harry reflected on other things that had occurred the previous day, as well.

He had been surprised to find out at dinner the previous evening that several members of the Weasley family, as well as Hermione, had received letters from Gringott's. He had also noticed that Ron and Hermione were being very distant with each other. When one of them would walk into a room that the other was occupying, the former would turn around and walk back out. They had not spoken so much as a word to the other, as far as Harry could tell, since they had left to go on their private walk. He made a note to himself that he would find out the meaning of everything later on that afternoon. But right now, that was not important. What Harry was focusing on right now was the four will readings that were to take place today.

Harry was just finishing tying his tie, when there was a light knock on the door. Harry knew it to be Pansy. They had agreed to go early in the morning to Gringott's in order to get Paris's will reading out of the way. Harry took one last look in the mirror and let out a heavy sigh. The last words of Ragnok's letter entered his mind, and he knew he would find out everything.

_In WILLS, LIES Hidden SECRETS._

XxXxXxX

Harry and Pansy arrived at Gringott's just before seven o'clock. Diagon Alley was surprisingly busy on this particular morning. The many businesses that had been closed the previous summer were open once again. Harry was surprised that the Alley was so busy at this hour of the day.

"I guess the Wizarding world doesn't have an opening time anymore." Harry joked as they began walking up the small number of stairs into the bank. Harry was guiding Pansy through the throngs of people when he tripped over someone.

"Watch where you are going, human. It's bad enough we have your kind coming through here day in and day out. Now you are trying to crush us to death." Said the goblin.

Harry pulled himself up off the floor and looked at the goblin that was accusing him of attempted homicide. "My deepest apologies, sir. I did not see you walking there. If I had seen you, I never would have run into you."

The goblin looked at Harry, as if studying his soul through his eyes. The goblin nodded his head. "Very well, human. I accept your apology, and I do apologize for being so short with you. I have a lot to do today, and I am not really looking forward to it. I am called Knife-tooth. I am the Keeper of Wills of Gringott's. And you are, sir?" The goblin enquired.

"My name is Harry Potter, sir. And this is Pansy Parkinson. We were actually on our way to see you for the will reading of Pansy's father." Harry answered.

"Mr. Potter, Ms. Parkinson, I would be more than happy to assist you. Please follow me into my office."

Knife-tooth led the pair to the room that served as his office. The room itself was not large, about the size of a small bedroom. The walls were covered in different pictures and forms of art work. The pictures, to Harry and Pansy's surprise, were non-magical. As in they were not moving.

Knife-tooth noticed the looks on their faces and smiled a sharp toothed grin. "I see you have noticed my decorations do not move. I am one of few goblins that you will meet that has a fascination with the Muggle world. I have been alive for many years, and I have been friends with many different types of people. Don't worry, I have not broken any laws of discretion. The Muggles that I have been friends with thought that I was just a person of short stature. That one right there is my personal favorite." He said pointing to a movie poster hanging on the wall.

Harry glanced over at the wall, and could not help but smile. The poster read _Jason and the Argonauts_. "Knife-tooth, why is this your favorite?"

"I have been entertained by the Muggles' cinema for many years. _Jason and the Argonauts_ was the first cinema I ever saw. Moving on now. You have come today for several will readings, am I correct?" Harry nodded. "But for the time being, you are only here for the will reading of Paris William Parkinson, correct?" Pansy nodded. "Very well. Let me find the paperwork. It will take but one moment." Knife-tooth rummaged around the stacks of parchementwork on his desk until he found the right file. "Ah, here we are. The will of Paris William Parkinson. Shall we begin?"

Pansy stole a glance at Harry, then slowly nodded her head.

"Very well. The will reads and I quote:

_I, Paris William Parkinson, being of sound mind, body, and magic, do leave this, my last will and testament. I leave behind all I own to my daughter, Pansy Peyton Parkinson. My dearest Pansy, I want you to know that even though I was not the best father to you, there was never a day where I was not proud of you. There are things that I wished I had been able to tell you. Who your mother was and why she left. Now that I am gone, I can tell you all that I can, for I have sworn an Unbreakable Oath to her that I would only give you limited information if I passed on before she could tell you the truth. One thing you must know is that she loved you and it was the hardest decision she ever made. She did it to protect you. The atrocities that she has caused may be unforgivable by most, most she did while under the Imperious curse, but somehow I beg that you try. You once told me that the Sorting Hat placed you in Slytherin because that was the house your mother was in. You must know that your mother begged the Hat to place her in Slytherin, because it was expected of her. She was originally to have been placed in Gryffindor. Your mother is one of the bravest people I knew. I want you to remember that. As I said, she has caused many atrocities, all in the name of a cause that she never believed in, and has tried for years to get out of. Take these words to heart, child. You are a smart girl, and I know that you will be able to deduce who your mother is. I love you, my flower. Live well and be happy, Pansy._

There is an addendum that was revealed after your father passed on, Ms. Parkinson. And I quote:

_Pansy, if you are hearing or reading this now, then that means that makers of an agreement have passed on. Hopefully, this is something that will have already happened by now, for it was always meant to happen. Many years ago, when your mother was still pregnant, two families made an agreement that their son and daughter would one day be married. Two powerful families, uniting as one. Fear not, child, for we would make no such agreement with the Malfoy's. No the young man you are promised to is from a truly noble family. I have known his father since we were small children. If you have not found each other by the time I have passed, a spell enacted by that agreement will bring you together. As I said previously, live well and be happy, Pansy. I am sure that you and Harry James Potter will have many good years ahead of you._

That is all."

Harry and Pansy sat in silence, not quite sure what to think of what they had just heard. Was it really true? Had there parents made a secret arranged marriage? Had they always been destined to be together? If so, was what they were feeling real or was it just a side effect of the spell in the agreement? They turned to look at each other and asked that very question with their eyes.

The look in their eyes told the other, that they did not know the answer.

XxXxXxX

**A/N: Special thanks goes to Snugallette and Salarai for their contributions to the first reader suggestion chapter. Some of your ideas are being incorporated into this story. Chapter 16 will feature another open suggestion chapter. I will continue to take any other ideas you recommend until then, and if I decide to use them, I will give you recognition. Please continue to read and review. And as always, keep reading. The best has yet to come.**


	13. In WILLS, LIES Hidden SECRETS Pt 2

**Chapter 13**

**In WILLS, LIES Hidden SECRETS Pt 2**

"Ron, time to get up, dear." Mrs. Weasley called from outside his bedroom door.

"Fi' mor' minutes, mum." Ron mumbled into his pillow.

"RONALD WEASLEY, YOU GET OUT OF THAT BED RIGHT NOW OR NO BREAKFAST FOR YOU!" Mrs. Weasley shouted.

"I'm up." Ron said as he shot up out of his bed and threw on the dress clothes that he had laid out the night before. He walked over to wake Harry up, but found that he was not in his bed. Ron went downstairs and plopped down in a seat at the kitchen table. "Mum, have you seen Harry this morning? He wasn't in his bed."

"Harry and Pansy went to Gringott's for Pansy's father's will reading. They wanted to get it out of the way before all of the other ones later this morning." Mrs. Weasley replied setting a plate of eggs and sausage down in front of her youngest son.

"Oh. That makes sense." Ron said before shoveling a huge forkful of eggs into his mouth. As he continued eating, Ron wondered about why he had received letters from Gringott's in the first place. He had never been particularly close to Dumbledore, so he could not imagine any reason why he was needed to be present at his will reading. But it was not the letter for Dumbledore's will that had peaked his curiosity. It was the letter for Remus Lupin's will.

Lupin had never really paid any attention to Ron, usually spending his time doting on Harry. The most time they had ever really spent together was during third year when Lupin was the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Outside of that time in the classroom, Lupin was usually distant when he was in the same area as Ron.

Ron was pulled from his thoughts when Hermione and Percy walked into the kitchen, hand-in-hand. He looked at Hermione's face and then looked down and noticed the two holding hands. Ron stood up and placed his half-eaten plate on the counter. "Excuse me, mum. I just lost my appetite."

Ron walked to the door and went outside. He was almost to the end of the walkway when a voice called behind him. "Ron."

Ron stopped, but did not turn around. "Hermione, I can't do this right now. I can't…I can't see you with my brother. Not like that. If you want to talk to me…without my brother being present or around…you are going to have to wait until after the will readings. Now, if you will excuse me…" And with that, Ron Disapperated.

Hermione stared at the spot where Ron had been standing just moments before. She heard the door open behind her and felt a hand being placed on her shoulder. "Don't worry about, Ron. He'll come around eventually."

Hermione turned around and buried her face into Percy's chest. She cried uncontrollably. Percy wrapped his arms around his new girlfriend as she sobbed into his chest. "I don't und…understand what happened to him. I me…mean, I know how he felt about me. And now…and now I'm losing one of my best friends."

"Ron is just being Ron. His feelings were hurt when you told him about us. I understand how he feels, and believe me, I sympathize for my baby brother, but he has always reacted this way whenever things don't go the way he wants. He dated Lavender last year just to get under your skin. He told me that. But Ron will get over it. It may just take some time."

"But that's the thing. I have this feeling that in time, Ron will get over it, but at the same time, out friendship will never be the same. I can't lose his friendship, it means too much to me."

"Don't worry, Hermione. Like I said, he'll come around eventually. And your friendship will be the better for it. Everything will take care of itself." Percy said with certainty.

"I hope you're right, Percy. I really do."

XxXxXxX

Harry and Pansy sat in the lobby of Gringott's Wizarding Bank awaiting the arrival of those that would be attending the various will readings. Neither had said anything to the other since the announcement of a marriage agreement between their families twenty minutes previously. Harry had attempted several times to voice his thoughts to his girlfriend (or was it fiancée now?) several times, but was unable to bring himself to do so.

Pansy was sitting in her seat staring at her shoes. Thoughts were swimming around her head faster than she could comprehend them. Were her feelings for Harry her own, or were they part of some spell that had been weaved into a marriage agreement? Who was her mother? What was Harry thinking at this moment? Should she have been Sorted into Gryffindor instead of Slytherin like her mother was originally going to be? If so, would she and Harry have gotten together much sooner? Pansy had to shake her head in order to focus on one question at a time, but even that was proving difficult.

Finally, after a half-hour had elapsed since the time they had left Knife-tooth's office, the barrier of silence was broken between them. "So…" Harry said.

"So…" Pansy said.

"I've got to admit that that was definitely not what I was expecting to hear in a will reading." Harry said casually.

"Me either. I was hoping that my father would tell me more about who my mother was, but I guess an Unbreakable Oath even follows you to your grave. But what he did tell me is still more than I ever knew about her." Pansy said, her eyes still on her shoes.

"I was hoping your father would have left you his vault here at Gringott's. We still have to get that Horcrux out of there before the final showdown with Voldemort. I'm curious as to who it was transferred to, seeing as your letter said that you were the only beneficiary." Harry wondered aloud.

"I hadn't even thought of that. Perhaps it was transferred over to my mother, whoever she may be." Pansy replied, and then stopped talking.

A barrier of silence once again fell between them. Another ten minutes passed before Harry once again spoke up. "So how much longer are we going to avoid talking about the purple Manticore in the room?" Harry asked.

Pansy sighed and looked into Harry's eyes. "What is that you want me to say?"

"I don't know, but something is better than nothing, right?" Harry said harsher than he had intended.

"There is no reason to yell at me, Harry. You're acting as if you are the only one that this is affecting. Well, guess what? You're not. Do you think I knew about this arranged marriage? I didn't. This is the first I have heard about it." Pansy whispered at a volume that had implied that she would much rather be yelling at him.

"Pans, calm down. That's not how I meant it. What I meant was we should talk about it instead of acting like it never happened."

"Oh. Sorry." Pansy said looking back down at her shoes. "It's a lot to take in and makes me wonder so many different things."

"Like what?" Harry asked as he shifted in his seat to turn towards her.

"Like if what I'm feeling for you is real or if its part of some stupid spell. If I had been Sorted into a different house, would things have been different between us? Things like that."

"I've been asking myself similar questions. And I think I have come up with an answer. Even if there was a driving force that was going to ultimately lead me to you, I know in my heart, that what we feel for each other is real. And there is nothing anybody could say to convince me otherwise." With this being said, Harry leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips.

Pansy smiled. "Are you sure that you this arrangement doesn't scare you away from me?"

Harry chuckled to himself at this statement. "Pans, it would take an awful lot to take me away from you. Arrangement or no, you're stuck with me."

Pansy took her boyfriend's hand in hers. "You know, I love you, right?" Harry nodded. "And I'm glad that you are determined that whatever it is you are feeling for me is really how you feel."

Harry squeezed Pansy's small hand in his own. "Pansy, I want you to know that I-"

He was cut off by several people calling out, "Harry!" as they walked across the lobby of the bank.

Pansy smiled at Harry and said, "Don't worry. We'll finish this conversation later. I think we have other matters to attend to right now."

"Do we have to?" Harry asked childishly.

"How about this? Tonight, after everything has been figured out, you and I go out to dinner. Just the two of us." She said with a huge smile.

Harry smiled back at her. "Sounds like a deal to me." They stood up and walked hand-in-hand to meet the group of people that were to be present for the will readings.

"How do you think everyone is going to react when they find out that we are going to be getting married?" Pansy asked.

"I guess we are about to find out." Harry answered with a smile plastered on his face.

XxXxXxX

In a small room adorned with torches along the wall, a figure clad in black listened as his most loyal followers gave various reports. His red eyes darted from figure to figure as they knelt before him informing him on the progresses that they had made. Lastly, a man in red robes knelt before the man that was the cause of the terrors afflicting the magical world.

"My Lord Voldemort, all is ready for your plot against Harry Potter." Aberforth said.

Voldemort gave a look of indifference to the man kneeling at his feet. "And what of our asset? Are they in place?"

"The asset has been in constant contact with me. They are at Gringott's with Harry Potter as we speak." Aberforth responded, hoping this would start to bring him back in the good graces of his master.

"Very well. You may all take your leave." The Death Eaters bowed and began to file out of the room, when the Dark Lord spoke again. "Except…for Aberforth and Lucius." The two named followers remained as the others left the room. "Gentleman, it has come to my attention that one of our order has not been as faithful to me as I had originally thought. I am going to hold the two of you responsible for whatever punishments you see fit. Normally, this is something that I would handle on my own, however I have more pertinent things to do."

"What are our orders, my Lord?" Lucius asked.

"You will wait until the wedding of Mr. Weasley and Ms. Delacour. Once our asset has revealed their self and given the signal, the two of you, our traitor, and four others of my choosing will do what you do best. It is there at the ceremony that I want you to take care of our traitor." The Dark Lord ordered icily.

"And who is the traitor, my Lord?" Aberforth asked.

"The traitor will be revealed on the field of battle. Now, leave me." Voldemort commanded.

The two Death Eaters bowed and left the Dark Lord to his thoughts.

XxXxXxX

"Ladies and gentleman, I would like to start off by thanking you all for taking the time out to come down to Gringott's today. I am Ragnok, the President of Gringott's Wizarding Bank, as well as the Chieftain of the Confederation of Goblins. I will be presiding over the will readings that are about to take place. But before I begin, I must make sure that everyone that is listed as a beneficiary for these wills are present. There will be no need to respond vocally. Once I have called your name, it will be self-indicated here on my parchment." Several heads nodded to indicate that they understood. "Very well. Harry Potter. Ronald Weasley. Hermione Granger. Nymphadora Tonks. Arthur Weasley. Molly Weasley. Percival Weasley. William Weasley. Ginevra Weasley. Fred Weasley. George Weasley. Charles Weasley. Pansy Parkinson. Severus Snape. Rubeus Hagrid. Very well. All beneficiaries are in attendance. Mr. Potter, seeing as how you are a beneficiary in all of these wills, I will allow you to decide which will we shall begin with."

Harry thought for a moment. _Which will would be the best one to start out with? Dumbledore's will hopefully provide answers to several unanswered questions. My parents' will has not been read since they died. Remus and Sirius were the closest to real family I ever had. So whose would be best to start with?_ Harry looked from face-to-face. His eyes rested on Tonks's face. She deserved to be the one to choose. Sirius had been her cousin and Remus was her lover.

"If you don't mind, sir, I would like Ms. Tonks to be the one to decide."

"Very well. Ms. Tonks?"

Tonks raised her head and choked out, "Please start with Remus Lupin."

"So it shall be. The will of Remus Lupin shall be read first. And I quote:

_I, Remus John Lupin, being of sound mind, body, and magic, leave this behind as my last will and testament. I have never been one to have the attention placed upon them, so I will keep this as short as I can._

_To Nymphadora Tonks, my love, I leave you the home we have shared. Many of my fondest moments with you have been spent in that house. It is yours to do with as you like._

_To Harry Potter, I leave you the Shrieking Shack. It was a home to the Marauders, so it should stay in the family. I am sure you will find a good use for it._

_To Ronald Weasley, I know that you are probably wondering why you are in my will. Simply put, you have been with Harry through many adventures, most of which dangerous, and you have never left his side…at least not permanently. So to you, Ronald, I bestow upon you the title of honorary Marauder, for only a true Marauder would stick close to his friends as loyally as you._

_And don't worry, Hermione. I haven't left you out. To you, Hermione Granger, I also leave you the title of honorary Marauder. You have been by Harry's side from day one and I know that your loyalty to him has never been in doubt. So, congratulations, young lady, you are the first female Marauder. I know that you will keep Harry in line, just as I had to do with his father._

_There really isn't all that much to say. I will see you all on the other side._

That concludes the will of Remus Lupin. Mr. Potter, which will would you like to hear next?"

Harry was surprised at the abruptness of Ragnok's question. He had hoped that they would be given time in between wills to process what they had heard. But then again, Remus's will was pretty short, so he could understand Ragnok's urge to continue with the will readings.

"Please read the will of Albus Dumbledore next." Harry stated with confidence.

"Very well. The will of Albus Dumbledore. And I quote:

_I, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, being of sound mind, body, and magic, leave this behind as my last will and testament. I am preparing to embark on a mission that I am fairly confident that I will not be returning from, or if I do, I fear that I will not be in a condition to continue on in day-to-day comings and goings. That being the case, there is much that needs to be said, and much more that needs to be revealed._

_I shall begin with my dear friend, Rubeus Hagrid. Old friend, I know that my death or incapacitation will come as a strong blow to you. You once said to me that after father died, I was always the person you looked to as a surrogate father. Never having children of my own, I was happy to fill that role for you. I was, and always will be, proud of you. I leave to you the hut that you reside in at Hogwarts. You will always have a home there for as long as you need one._

_To the Weasley family, I leave each of you the sum of 10,000 galleons. I know that you will protest to such a large amount, but I implore all of you to accept it and enjoy whatever it is you see fit to spend the money on._

_To Severus Snape, I leave to you a great many things. First and foremost, I would like to bestow upon you my eternal thanks. Not many would have been willing to live the life of risks that you have taken over the years. You are truly brave, my friend. Second, I ask if you have not done so already, explain your past to Harry. He may not completely forgive you in the role that you may have to play on this night, but he will at least have a better understanding as to why things had to be this way. I also leave you my pensieve. I hope the knowledge that is contained in their will be able to assist you on the tasks that I am sure you will be helping Harry with. I also know that once you accomplished the task that Tom Riddle has set upon you, there is a great chance that he will no longer covet your services. If that is the case, I ask that you return to Hogwarts. There would be no safer place for you to be than Hogwarts. You would not be forced to resume teaching, however I am sure that should you choose to do so, Minerva would be more than happy to accommodate you._

_And now, we get to the most crucial part of this will. For this part I must ask that everyone leaves the room, except for Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, and Pansy Parkinson. The reader of this will can not continue reading until only these parties are present._

I must ask at this time for all but the four of you to leave the room."

The Weasley family, excluding Ron, rose from their seats and left the room first. Tonks then stood up, gently squeezed Harry's shoulder, then followed the Weasleys. It took Hagrid a few moments to get out of the room, as his large frame got stuck in the doorway. The four teens fought to hold back laughter while Snape was pushing against Hagrid's backside. Hagrid finally freed himself from the doorway, followed quickly by Snape.

"Alright, now that we have that taken care of we can continue. And I quote:

_I am sure you are now curious as to why you are still present in the room, especially you, Ms. Parkinson. I will get to you in a few moments. At this point, I must make some confessions to Mr. Weasley, Ms. Granger, and of course, Harry. There are many things that I have done to the three of you. Things that I should not have done, but had no other options but to do. After hearing what I have done, I ask that you find it within your hearts to forgive an old wizard for doing what he felt was necessary._

_Over the years, the three of you have faced off against insurmountable odds, but have always found a way to overcome them. All of these things have been tests thrown in your direction, to see if you would be able to achieve the goals that would be placed in front of you in the future. Destiny has always played a key factor in everything that the three of you have done. I have been preparing you for what I knew would always be a difficult task. The obstacles placed before you were to see just how far the three of you were willing to go to achieve your goals. At most of these you succeeded, however there were some where the outcomes were unforeseen._

_The first obstacle that I placed in your way was the Philosopher's Stone. I was aware that Voldemort had possessed Quirinus____Quirrell after his failed attempt at stealing the Stone from Gringott's. When the other Professors and I created the obstacle chambers, I had the three of you in mind. I wanted to see what types of skills the three of you had, and how you would use them. You all did admirably, and definitely exceeded my expectations, especially for being only 11 or 12 years old._

_The second test set before you was the basilisk. Not many dark creatures have the ability to petrify, and the ingenuity of the three of you to not only discover the basilisk, but as well as how it was traveling around the castle was astounding. I did not foresee the diary of Tom Riddle, nor the possession of Ginny Weasley. Although the overall result was a success, considering the emotional and physical scars that both Ginny and Harry suffered, it was not the outcome that I had hoped for._

_In your third year, I would never have been able to imagine that Wormtail was still alive, nor that he would be discovered. The dementors that were brought in from Azkaban were to see if Harry was able to face fear in the face and succeed, which he most assuredly did. The stays of execution that you brought forth for Sirius and Buckbeak were added bonuses. I, like almost everyone in our world, thought that Sirius had been guilty. Thanks to the three of you, an innocent man was given a new chance at life._

_The obstacles of your fourth year were not entirely by my design. I do admit that I did enter Harry's name into the Goblet of Fire, but it was not the parchment that I put in that came out. Barty Crouch, Jr. was able to convincingly make me believe that he was indeed Alastor Moody. The return of Voldemort was always going to happen, however I had hoped it would not happen as soon as it did._

_Delores Umbridge was another unforeseen factor. Her meddling at Hogwarts was a burden upon students and staff alike. However, the three of you, along with the rest of your friends were sharp enough to create your rebellious faction. This, Ms. Parkinson, is where you start to come into play. I have always been aware of your attraction to Harry, and I am also aware of the additional training that you went through with Professor Snape. In fact, the training that you went through was my idea. No doubt the art of Dreamscaping will come in handy for you someday. But I digress. Once again, Harry, I must apologize to you for the death of Sirius. Never in my wildest dreams would I have been able to imagine that Voldemort would stoop as far as making you think that he had Sirius in clutches. However, I also did not see the treachery of Kreature. I do have a strong feeling that one day, you will see Sirius again, and I have no doubt that he will be very proud of the man that you have become._

_This last year has been the biggest challenge that I have placed in front of all four of you. Ms. Parkinson, you took several risks last year in spying on Draco Malfoy for us. Professor Snape has told me on numerous occasion that he is very proud to have you as a member of Slytherin house. Mr. Weasley, the task I set in front of you was of a different nature. I convinced one of your housemates to play a part in this. I must admit that Ms. Brown went further than I had thought she would go. I did not picture her becoming as obsessed with you as she did. The task was to see if when an outsider tries to pull you away from those closest to you, if you would be able to remain loyal to your friends. You succeeded, much to my pleasure. Ms. Granger, your task was to see how you would react if you were no longer the best in every subject at school. Professor Snape saw to it that Harry would receive his old potions book. You handled yourself far better than either of us would have imagined. And that brings us to you, Harry. Your challenge was what we had building toward the entire year. I have long been aware of the location of the cave that we are going to on this night. I have been there before, and I am aware of the challenges we will face there. The task that I am having you face tonight is to see how far are you willing to go to save someone you love or care about. I can only assume that since this will is being read at the present time, that you did what I was hoping you would do. You put the importance of the mission before your feelings. While I can only imagine how difficult it must have been for you to force that potion down my throat, I am proud that you followed my instructions to the letter. There may come a time in the future where you will have to decide between your heart and the mission. I implore you to consider the ramifications of what could happen if you put chose to put what your heart wants before defeating Voldemort, which is necessary._

_Finally, there is one last piece of information that I must pass on. Several years ago, the parents of Harry James Potter and Pansy Peyton Parkinson set forth a contract of matrimony. The terms of this contract state that the two of you must be married before your 18th__ birthdays. Also, a compulsion charm that was placed into the contract is set to go in effect on your 17__th__ birthdays. This charm will begin to gently nudge you in the direction of one another, but will not force you to fall in love with each other. The only way for this type of contract to be nullified would be in the event of one of your deaths or physical violence done to the other of a purposeful nature. There will also be no way for anyone to find out about this contract unless Harry or Pansy themselves make it known. So, Ms. Granger and Mr. Weasley, consider yourselves fortunate that you are in on their secret. And Mr. Potter and Ms. Parkinson, I wish you the best of luck to you in your lives together._

_That is all I have to say. I must write a brief letter to Remus before you arrive, Harry. I will see you all when you begin your next great journey._

This ends the will of Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore."

Ron and Hermione turned to face Harry and Pansy, their jaws hanging open. Harry and Pansy both had smiles on their faces.

"Did-Are you-Wha'?-" Ron tried to say.

"Was that supposed to be English, Ron?" Harry asked his best friend.

Ron, still unable to form comprehensive words, nodded his head. He then looked at Hermione to see if she had anyway of broadcasting what he was trying to say.

Catching the hint that Ron was wanting her to speak on his behalf, Hermione piped up. "I believe what Ron is trying to say is, what does Dumbledore mean that the two you have to be married?"

Pansy turned to her new friend and said, "Well, Hermione, I would think it would be pretty self-explanatory. Harry and I must be married by our 18th birthdays."

"But why are you so calm about this? Don't you two have a problem with this?"

Harry smiled. "To answer your questions, we found out about it a couple of hours ago when we attended Pansy's father's will reading. I wasn't aware that their was a deadline for us to be married, but even so, I would have no problem getting married to Pansy." Harry turned to face Pansy who had tears running down her cheeks.

"Harry, do you really mean that?" Pansy asked in between sobs.

Harry knelt down in front of Pansy, taking her hands in his. "Of course I mean it, Pansy. Why wouldn't I want to marry you? I love you."

Pansy began to cry even harder, even though there was a smile on her face. "Oh, Harry, I love you, too."

The two embraced and just sat their for several minutes. Hermione smiled as she watched the couple. She turned to face Ron, who was also smiling. He jerked his head to the side to indicate that he wanted to speak to her in private. Hermione acquiesced to his motion and followed him to the other side of the room.

Ron crossed his arms over his chest and let out a deep sigh. "So…" He began.

"Yeah." Hermione answered. "Look, Ron, I should have told you about my feelings for Percy a long time ago. It was never my intention to hurt you. I just never thought that Percy would have the same type of feelings for me. And now, I've gone and hurt you so bad and I'm afraid that I've ruined our friendship. And I couldn't bear to ever lose your friendship. And I realize I'm ranting right now and I should probably stop speaking so fast. But I'm having a hard time slowing down or shutting up and…" Hermione stopped speaking when Ron placed two fingers over her lips.

"Hermione, I'm the one that should be apologizing to you. I should have told _you a long time ago_ that I had feelings for you. I never should have assumed that you would never have feelings for someone else. I just always thought that since you and I always spent so much time together…you know?"

Hermione nodded her head in understanding. "I know what you mean. I once thought that I might have those feelings for you, but I don't. I'm sorry, Ron. Really, I am. So, are we still friends?"

"Of course we are. Now come here." Ron held his arms open and hugged Hermione. "I'll always be your friend, Hermione. Nothing can stop that."

Hermione backed up from her friend and smiled. "I don't know what I would do without you, Ron."

Ron smiled back. "If I have anything to say about it, you'll never have to find out."

XxXxXxX

**A/N: Sorry it took so long to update. I had a little bit of writer's block. There is going to be one more chapter involving the will readings, but I promise you that once the story leaves Gringott's, the action is going to pick up and there are going to be a few twists and turns. Some that you may see coming, and others that you will never expect. Thanks to all of you that have reviewed my story so far. I definitely appreciate your feedback. And as always, keep reading. The best has yet to come.**


	14. In WILLS, LIES Hidden SECRETS Pt 3

**Chapter 14**

**In WILLS, LIES Hidden SECRETS Pt 3**

Harry and Pansy sat watching their two friends finally mend the broken bridge between them. Harry couldn't help but smile, as he was reflecting back to when Ron and he had been at odds with each other during the Tri-Wizard Tournament. At the time he couldn't help but wonder if Ron would ever come to his senses and realize that he had not put his name into the Goblet. And it was at this moment, when everything that Dumbledore had revealed in his will came crashing down on Harry.

Dumbledore had been putting him and his friends through hell just to see if they had what it took to come out on top? What the fuck was wrong with the man? He knowingly had Harry face a 40 foot Basilisk, which could have killed him if their eyes had ever made contact with each other? He knowingly brought Dementors, one of the Darkest creatures in the Wizarding world, to Hogwarts to see if he could stare fear in the face and walk away unscathed? And how exactly had that turned out? Sure, they had saved Sirius and Buckbeak from the fates that the Ministry had planned for them, but Ron wound up in the hospital wing with a broken ankle, Hermione and Harry were almost killed by Remus after he had transformed into his werewolf form, and Peter Pettigrew managed to escape and bring the Voldemort back from the nearly undead. And then their was the calamity that was the Tri-Wizard Tournament. If Barty Crouch, Jr. hadn't put his name in the Goblet, it most certainly still would have come out, since Dumbledore put his name in it as well. And then Harry started to become angry.

And with that anger, a thought popped into Harry's head. _If Crouch had not been there, my name would have still come out of the Goblet of Fire, and Cedric would still be alive today. Would he have been with Cho, all along, and the fiasco that was fifth year might never have happened? I now know the truth. I am not responsible for the death of Cedric Diggory. His death is Voldemort and Dumbledore's fault. The blame rests on their shoulders._

Harry let out a deep sigh, as a smile crossed his lips.

Pansy turned to her betrothed and asked, "Harry, what is it?"

"It's not my fault. It never was."

"What isn't your fault?"

"Cedric's death. Dumbledore said in his will that he put my name into the Goblet of Fire, right? That means that even if Barty Crouch had not been at Hogwarts pretending to be Mad-Eye Moody, my name would still have come out of the Goblet. I would still have been in the Tri-Wizard Tournament, and I would still have been nearly killed several times. The only difference would have been that Cedric would still be alive and Voldemort would not have been reborn. At least not then. Cedric's death is as much Dumbledore's fault as it is Voldemort's. Dumbledore should have known that that was not Alastor Moody the moment that he set foot in the castle."

Hermione pulled away from Ron's hug and responded to Harry's realization. "Harry, we have been telling you for years that it was never your fault. Neither was Sirius's death. Dumbledore should have told you everything from the get-go. And I admit, the so-called "tests" that he put in front of us, really vexes me. He knowingly put students, not to mention minors in the Wizarding world, in grave danger. By that alone, he should have lost his position as Headmaster in our first year. But that he was able to hide it from everyone for so long, I also have to admit that I am somewhat impressed by him. He had the wool pulled over our eyes for so long, I doubt that even he did not think that the things that he was doing were wrong. They were done for his "greater good"."

Ron nodded his head. "I agree with Hermione. Some of the things he did were impressive. But he really should have told you about the Prophecy a lot sooner."

Pansy's head perked up at the mention of a prophecy. "Prophecy? What Prophecy?"

Harry took a sudden interest in his shoes.

"Uh-uh, Harry James Potter. You will look me in the eye and answer my question. What Prophecy?" Pansy said, barely maintaining her composure.

Harry did not answer. He rose* from his seat and walked to the other side of the room and stared at the wall. Pansy followed him immediately, spun him around by the shoulder and slapped him hard on the cheek. Tears were streaming down her face.

"Harry, you promised that there would be no secrets between us. You PROMISED! All I want to know is what the Prophecy says. I don't care about the wording, I just want the general idea of it. Don't you think I deserve to know that much? Don't you trust me with something like that? What do I have to do? Take a Witch's Oath? Turn around and look at me, Harry." Pansy was overtaken by sobs, as she could tell that her pleas were doing nothing to change Harry's mind. "Harry…please?"

Harry turned back around and resumed staring at the wall.

The next words that Pansy spoke would hurt Harry a lot more than the slap she had just given him, which is why she said them. "You bastard. How could you tell me that you love me, and not tell me what this Prophecy says? Don't talk to me. Don't look at me. Don't even think about me. Consider that slap violence of a purposeful nature. The marriage contract is null and void. I will stay for Bill and Fleur's wedding, only because they want me there. But you will never see me again after tomorrow night. Goodbye, Harry." And with that, Pansy walked out of the room and left the door open, allowing those attending the will reading to look into the room.

They all watched as Harry fell to his knees and watched as his soft sobs began to cause his body to shake. Nobody moved for several minutes, as they watched the Boy Who Lived cry his eyes out. Unable to see her friend in this kind of pain any longer, Tonks walked into the room and wrapped her arms around Harry.

Harry buried his face into Tonks shoulder, as he continued to let his emotions escape. He realized that he wasn't just crying about Pansy. Obviously, he was heartbroken, but there were other factors that were causing him to weep as hard as he was. He realized that he had not really properly grieved for Remus, even though he had spent most of that day cradling his would-have-been adoptive father in his arms as the rain poured down around them. He never grieved over the loss of Dumbledore. His mentor, who had been the closest thing to a grandparent that he had ever had.

Tonks continued to hold Harry, even after his sobs had subsided and she knew that he had stopped crying. She had wished that somebody would have held her like this after she left the Dursley's house with Dudley. She had locked herself in her room and cried to the point of losing consciousness. She was surprised that _she _was the one holding onto Harry and not one of his best friends. Or another of the Weasley clan. She had half expected Ginny to be in the place she was currently in.

Tonks lifted Harry's face away from her shoulder and whispered, so that only he could hear her. "Are you alright?"

Harry barely nodded his head, as he whispered back. "I think I will be. Thanks, Tonks. I wish I had been there for you like this when I knew you needed it most."

Tonks smiled. "Harry, I'll always be here if you ever want to talk. And when it's just us together, feel free to call me Nymphadora, or Nym if you like."

Harry smiled. "Thanks…Nym. You're a true friend."

"What do you say we get you off this cold, hard floor, huh? My arse is starting to go numb." She joked with a chuckle.

Harry nodded and they both got up off the floor. Harry turned to face Ragnok.

"Director Ragnok, I would like to now have it known, that I do not care to proceed with anymore will readings at this time. I know in your letter to me that you said that there were many things in the wills that should be brought to my attention. Well, to quote a classic Muggle film, frankly, sir, I just don't give a damn. I trust that whatever needed to be told to me in my parents' will has already been mentioned in the wills of Albus Dumbledore and Paris Parkinson. If there is any monetary earnings from the will of Sirius Orion Black that are to bequeathed to me, I humbly ask that you put them into the vault of Ms. Tonks here. She is closer to a Black then I will ever be. I also ask that whatever properties that Mr. Black left to me be given to Ms. Tonks, as well. Good day to you, sir. May your bags always overflow with gold."

Ragnok bowed his head to the formal Goblin farewell. "And may your enemies always tremble at your name, Mr. Potter. Your requests shall be granted as you have asked, and I also wish for you to know, that if you ever require them, the Army of the Confederation of Goblins is at your call. Your servant, sir."

Ragnok bowed once more, and left the room. Once the Director of Gringott's had left the room, those that had left the room filed back in. Bill closed the door behind. It was no sooner than the door latched, that Hermione began to verbally attack Harry.

"HARRY JAMES POTTER, WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM? She asked you a simple question. A question that after what we just learned, I completely agree with her that she deserves to know the truth. And another thing…"

Harry cut her off by yelling over her. "HERMIONE, WOULD YOU PLEASE SHUT THE FUCK UP?"

Hermione looked like she had been slapped in the face. She staggered backwards and would have fallen over the chair behind her, had Ron not reached out and caught her.

All eyes in the room were on Harry. Later that evening, many of those present in the room would exchange stories on the display of power that was emanating from Harry. Both of his hands were glowing with a green energy. Ron noticed it was the same energy that had surrounded Harry's hand when they had gotten into their fight at the Burrow. Harry's aura was also highly visible. In contrast to the green energy that was radiating from his hands, bright yellow flames were surrounding the spot that Harry was standing on. While no heat was being given off by the flames, scorch marks were visible on all of the wooden objects that were within a three foot distance of where Harry stood.

Harry's mind was racing. He had no idea what was happening but he could not believe the way he was feeling. He noticed that his hands were glowing a very disturbing green color. He looked over at the chair that he had been sitting in just a few moments ago, and noticed that the armrests were starting to blacken. He felt a tingling like his skin was on fire, but there was no pain. He was starting to sweat and then he remembered that Hermione had just attempted to tear into him.

Harry fixed his gaze on Hermione and when he did, he noticed that everyone took a step backwards. Percy took three steps backwards, bumping into the door. The room was starting to get considerably warmer, as the flames emanating from Harry were starting to give off heat.

"Who do you think you are, Hermione? I know I should have told Pansy the truth. Do you think I don't know that? Do you actually expect me to tell the woman I love that not only am I the only person that can stop Voldemort, but that there is also a pretty good chance that any confrontation that I have with old snake face will end in my death? Tell me, Hermione, how should I tell her that? You seem to have all of the fucking answers. Well? I'm waiting."

The flames surrounding Harry were beginning to flicker colors. One moment they would be yellow and the next they would be bright red and then subside to orange, before starting the cycle all over again.

"I…I…don't know, Harry. I didn't think…"

"That's a change. For once, the all knowing know it all didn't think. Next time I want your opinion on my personal life, I'll ask you for it. But then again, who are you to give advice in matters of the heart? You've had a boyfriend for all of a week. So on second thought, why don't you keep your nose out of my relationship with Pansy."

"But what about the marr…" Hermione began, but was cut off by the enchantments in Dumbledore's will.

"Don't you dare bring up the marriage contract, not that it matters anymore. When Pansy slapped me, she made the contract void. I wanted to marry her, Hermione. I really did. You know how hard it is for me to trust someone, let alone love someone enough to think about marrying them. Not like I had a choice in marrying her. But I love her, Hermione. So much, that when she said that I would never see her again, I wanted to die right then and there. I'm still feeling that way, but only Tonks came over to comfort me. Not my two best friends though. The sight of you two just standing here staring at me right now it makes we want to just…AAARRRGG!"

And with that primal scream, Harry Disapperated from Gringott's. The moment he hit the wards, the alarms in the bank began to go off.

Bill was staring at the spot that Harry Potter was just standing in. "How in the name of Merlin did he do that?"

"Do what?" Ron asked.

"Harry just Apperated through the wards of Gringott's. That's not possible. He should have been slammed back down to the spot where he was Apperating from."

"Apparently, Mr. Weasley, you did not hear about the circumstances in which Mr. Potter rescued Ms. Parkinson, did you?" Snape asked. Bill shook his head. "Mr. Potter Apperated himself into Riddle Manor, through the wards that the Dark Lord had placed around the house. He was then able to Disapperate from within the house itself. So it's no surprise to me that he was able to leave this room without using the door. Mr. Potter is very…unique."

"Was that a compliment, Severus?" Arthur asked.

"I was merely making an observation." Snape sneered.

Bill spoke up so that a fight would not break out between the two men. "Perhaps we should get back to the Burrow in case that's where Harry went."

Percy nodded. "I agree. Let's get back."

Hermione had not moved since Harry had told her to be quiet. Tonks went up to her friend and gave her a hug. "He didn't mean it, Hermione. Just give him some time to cool off, and I'm sure he will apologize. He has been through a lot today."

Hermione sniffled as she hugged her friend back. "He was right, though. Who am I to give him advice on his love life? And then with this stupid marriage contract between him and Pansy…"

"Yeah, what was that all about?"

Hermione sat down in one of the blackened chairs. "Their parents set up a marriage contract before Harry's parents were killed by V-Voldemort. There was supposed to be a secrecy enchantment on it, that we could only talk about it if Harry or Pansy made it known, but I guess I can talk about it because he mentioned it in front of everyone."

Percy walked behind his girlfriend and placed his hands on her shoulders and gently rubbed them. "Harry said that the contract was voided. How did that happen?"

Ron spoke up for the first time in a long time. "Dumbledore said that the only way to break the contract would be for one of them to either die or cause physical harm to the other of a purposeful nature. When Harry wouldn't tell her about the prophecy, she slapped him in the face and told him that that was physical harm of a purposeful nature and that the contract was voided right there. I'm not so sure about that though. I don't think that a slap in the face constitutes grounds to break a contract."

"What makes you think that?" The twins asked at the same time.

"Well, think about it. Couples fight. Bill and Fleur, I'm sure have fought and we all know that Mum and Dad have had more than their fair share of rows. Do you honestly think that a slap in the face would be enough to constitute grounds to break a marriage contract up? A slap in the face is like telling someone that you hate them. Yeah, it hurts a lot, but the pain does not linger. I think that it would take something like a spell on one of them to really be considered a physical act of harm."

Percy nodded his head. "I can definitely see the logic behind that, little brother. When did you get to be so smart?"

"When I started being friends with Hermione."

Hermione smiled and rose from her chair. "Well, I guess we should be getting back now."

The group left the office and made their way through the bank. They made their way through the groups of people that were making their way through Diagon Alley. The twins bid their family members and friends, even Snape, a fond farewell at the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron, citing that Lee Jordan was probably losing his mind running the joke shop without them there. That and they didn't want him going on a power trip cutting prices in order to generate a higher profit, which he had tried doing unsuccessfully the previous summer.

The remaining members of the will reading party made their way to the fireplace in the Leaky Cauldron and Flooed back to the Burrow, in hopes that either Pansy or Harry were there waiting for them.

XxXxXxX

As the asset made their way through Diagon Alley, several thoughts were running through their mind. They had learned a great deal of information on this day, and they were attempting to come up with different ways to use it all to their advantage.

Firstly, they had learned that the Potter brat was betrothed to marry the Parkinson girl. For some idiotic reason, they both thought that a slap to the face was enough to void a contract that had been created years ago, whose magic and enchantments had only grown stronger and more powerful as the years had passed. The asset was not sure yet how this information would be of use to them, but knew that they could definitely use it their advantage at the wedding tomorrow.

Secondly, the Potter brat had been bequeathed information by the great fool, Dumbledore that only a total of 4 people knew the full details to. Information that the asset felt would hinder any attempts made by their master to grow in strength and crush Potter once and for all.

And lastly, Potter had displayed an incredible amount of magic. He had produced a visible aura that had not only given off light, but heat as well. And somehow he had gotten through the wards surrounding the bank without any problems, as far as they knew. Perhaps there was a new type of magic that Potter had tapped into that the Dark Lord had never considered tapping into himself. The asset would pass the information on to the Dark Lord that evening, so that he was aware of all that was going on, and so he could pass the information on to the ones that would be coming to cause mayhem, chaos, and lots of dead people at the wedding tomorrow.

_Oh, yes_. The asset thought to their self. _Tomorrow's wedding will definitely be a day the Wizarding world will not soon forget_.

XxXxXxX

**A/N: Well, there we go. We are finally done with the wills. And I promise that this is the last multiple part chapter…at least for now. I do appreciate all of you that have been reading this story and continue to come back for more. A special thanks goes to dragon2010 for including this story in their community. I am truly honored that they are enjoying this story enough to share it.**

**For those of you that have not had the chance to read the brief A/N that I posted a few days ago, I changed the name of the story from **_**Harry Potter and the Dark Lord**_** to **_**Harry Potter and Beyond the Veil**_**, because I decided to go in a different direction than what I had originally planned, and the original title no longer seemed to fit the new concept. **

**In the next chapter, the wedding of Bill and Fleur, the Asset will reveal their self (I bet it's not who you think it is), and the true plot of the story will begin to unfold.**

**Please Read and Review, and as always, Keep Reading. The best has yet to come.**


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